THE mum of an alleged child sex abuse victim knew about the assault claims - but it was the mother of her daughter's friend who told police.

Leslie Belcher denies abusing the girl from the age of six in Worcester, including spanking her with a belt and using a rope to tie her up in a horse shelter before stripping her.

The complainant's mum broke down in tears in the witness box on Wednesday as she gave evidence.

Belcher, 64, of St Clement's Close, St John's, Worcester faces 14 sexual offence charges at his trial at Worcester Crown Court which began earlier this week.

In total the defendant, originally from Warndon, denies 10 counts of sexual assault upon a child under 13, one of sexual assault, one of false imprisonment, one of assault a child by penetration and one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The charges span a period between November 4, 2012 and July 8, 2020.

Belcher was arrested on July 12, 2020 and gave a full comment interview, denying the allegations.

The complainant's mother said she learned of Belcher's alleged abuse after the mum of her daughter's boyfriend saw a Facebook message sent to her son. The boyfriend's mum then reported the allegations to the complainant's mum.

"I think you need to tell your mum now," the mum was heard to tell the complainant.

The witness then said her daughter told her that someone had been 'doing stuff and touching her'.

"I asked her what she meant. She said 'touching me where they shouldn't be. She was crying. She was shaking" said the mum.

Her daughter then explained what she said Belcher had done to her, including an assault and that he had 'tied her up in a stable and got her naked'.

The mum also said her daughter told her Belcher lifted her top up and touched her breasts.

When her mum asked her where else she had been touched, the complainant said 'down below'.

She asked her daughter how long the alleged abuse had been going on. The complainant told her mum: "From when she was six."

However, she said she did not take her daughter to the police station so she could tell them what happened.

"She asked me not to go to the police until she had got her head around it," said the witness. She said her daughter also had plans with friends.

The witness told her own mum (the complainant's grandmother) who advised her to 'leave it for a couple of days so we can all get our heads around it'. The witness said she did not speak to Belcher about it directly.

She confirmed that it was someone else - a mother of one of the complainant's friends - who reported the alleged abuse to police.

The trial continues.