A MAN raped a seven-year-old girl after trying to lure her and a friend into his home with promises of seeing his teddy bear collection, a court heard.

David Fielding was said to have grabbed the two girls’ wrists and pulled them into his flat where he sexually assaulted them.

Fielding, a 62-year-old grandfather, denies kidnapping the girls, sexually assaulting them, raping one of the children and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

At the start of his trial at Bolton Crown Court Andrew Ford, prosecuting, told a jury of six men and six women how a group of children was playing on a grassed area outside Fielding’s ground floor flat in Georgina Court, Morris Green, on the evening of May 28. The day was Spring Bank Holiday Monday.

“There is evidence that Mr Fielding had been out and told them off for cartwheeling and the like,” said Mr Ford.

But Fielding is said to have then started paying attention to a seven-year-old girl and her 10-year-old friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Mr Ford said: “They did not know him. He invited them in to see his teddy bear collection.”

The girls refused and asked them to bring the soft toys outside, but as they neared his doorway, Fielding allegedly told them, “I want you to come inside”.

Mr Ford said: “They were dragged in by their wrists and taken into his flat. They say they were taken in against their will by force.”

The jury heard that the children banged their heads as they were dragged inside.

The girls were sat on the sofa and, later told police, how Fielding touched their hair, asked them to lie down and wanted them to stay the night.

Fielding is also said to have offered to put on their favourite cartoon and told them, “I’ll watch a movie with you”, before showing them his teddy bears and a picture of his favourite actress, former Coronation Street star Michelle Keegan.

The court heard how Fielding put on pop music, including “Strip That Down”, by former One Direction boy band member Liam Payne.

Fielding allegedly started doing actions to the music.

At one stage the 10-year-old girl was on the sofa when Fielding is said to have rubbed her thigh with his private parts.

After offering the children a shower, Fielding asked them to go to the toilet with him.

When they refused, and he went on his own, the older girl managed to escape the flat, but her younger friend, hampered by the heels on her boots, was not so quick.

Fielding is said to have grabbed her and taken her into his bedroom where he pushed her onto the bed.

Mr Ford said that he then partially undressed himself, forced her to commit a sex act on him, threatening to stab her if she refused and then raped her.

“She was terrified and didn’t know what to think,” said Mr Ford, who added that the girl was crying, in pain and calling out “help me”.

The older girl, who went back into the flat, allegedly witnessed the incident, which ended after there was a knock on the flat door by the brother of one of the girls.

“The defendant got himself dressed quickly and told her to get out,” said Mr Ford.

Later that evening the younger girl told her mother some of what had happened, including about the teddies and banging their heads, but did not mention the sexual assaults.

“She [the girl’s mother] knew she was hiding something,” said Mr Ford.

“Over night and the next morning bits of the story came out in dribs and drabs and, not at first, the whole lot.”

The following day the girls’ mothers got together with the children.

“Both mothers spoke to the girls. They assured them they were not in trouble, they just wanted them to tell the truth,” said Mr Ford.

The younger girl revealed marks on her wrist from where she said Fielding had grabbed her and told them that she thought she had heard her knickers rip when Fielding attacked her.

The families contacted police and Fielding was arrested.

“He denied, steadfastly, these allegations,” said Mr Ford.

The seven-year-old was examined by a doctor at the specialist St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre who found bruising on her head and wrist, scratches on her inner thighs and bruising in her genital area.

Mr Ford said that, while the doctor’s findings are “not conclusive” they are consistent with the account given to police by the girl.

“We say the girls are telling the truth,” said Mr Ford. “It’s as simple of that.

“There is no reason to disbelieve them and, further, the evidence of the physical examination on [the girl] corroborates what she said he did.”

The trial is due to last seven days and, yesterday, after the prosecution case was opened by Mr Ford, the jury was sent home for the day.

They will begin hearing evidence from the children, including taped police video interviews made with the police, today.

The trial continues.