A MOTOCROSS rider sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl after luring her into his bedroom with the promise of a teddy bear, a court has heard.

A jury at Bolton Crown Court has heard how the girl and her parents were visiting a friend in June, 2014 when Oliver Sandifordsmith turned up at the house.

The girl's father asked to look at Sandifordsmith's bikes and the family went to his home in Martin Avenue, Farnworth.

Rachel White, prosecuting, said that while they were in his garden admiring the machines, 27-year-old Sandifordsmith told the little girl he had a teddy bear upstairs that he wanted to give to her.

The pair went inside, but after taking her to his bedroom Sandifordsmith is said to have sexually assaulted the child.

When they had not returned after 10 minutes the girl's father went looking for her and Sandifordsmith came down the stairs with the child when her dad shouted for her.

As the family left the house the little girl told her mother what had happened.

Miss White said the child's mother initially thought there had been a misunderstanding, but when she realised her daughter was not mistaken, the police were contacted.

The jury were told that forensic examination of the child's knickers revealed the presence of saliva containing Sandifordsmith's DNA, along with DNA from the girl.

Sandifordsmith, who denies sexually assaulting the child, claims that the allegations are being made up by the girl's mother as revenge for posting a video of her partner on Facebook three years earlier.

The defence allege that on the day of the visit Sandifordsmith had been putting a dog's ball in his mouth and the mother took the toy and rubbed it on to a spare pair of her daughter's Hello Kitty knickers in order to transfer his DNA.

Giving evidence, the tearful mother told the jury that, after contacting police, she had had to give consent for her daughter to be intimately examined in hospital and tested for sexually transmitted diseases and that following the incident her daughter now wakes screaming every night and wets the bed.

She described as "disgusting" suggestions made by Anwar Ramzan, defending, that she was using her daughter in order to frame Sandifordsmith.

Forensic scientist Jacqueline French told the court that the amount of saliva found in the knickers suggested direct contact from Sandifordsmith rather than his explanation that a ball containing his bodily fluid had been wiped on the garment.

"In my view it is highly unlikely that it has been transferred in this manner as described," said Miss French.

The trial continues.