A man has appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a female police officer during a night out to attend a boxing event in Norwich. 

Gavin Horne, 42, of Shortlands Avenue in Ongar, Essex, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of intentionally touching a woman for sexual reasons.

Norwich Magistrates’ Court was told he had been part of a group from Essex who had travelled to Norwich to attend a white collar boxing event on November 12.

Prosecutor Sally Harris said the group had been in a kebab shop when he had allegedly touched the officer on her bottom while she was in the entrance to the city centre takeaway.

Horne opted for his case to be heard before a judge and jury at Norwich Crown Court with an initial hearing scheduled for January 16.

White-collar boxing, a form of boxing in which non-sports people with no prior boxing experience train to fight at special events, has become increasingly popular with bouts regularly staged in Norwich.