A religious teacher has been found not guilty of sexually abusing a young girl.

Shams Pervais, 46, was accused of touching the girl's chest during an Arabic lesson at a house in May last year.

However, Mr Pervais, of Oakdene Road, Watford, was cleared by a jury at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday.

On Friday, August 24, via a television link the girl, who is now 13, said: "My Arabic teacher touched my breasts and squeezed them and he cuddled me and kissed me.

"He told me not to tell anyone. He threatened me - he said he would kill me.

"He had money and he gave it to me and said Don't tell anyone'."

The girl, who said she gave him back the money, said the sexual assault took place after she got a word wrong while reading in Arabic from the Koran.

She said: "He told me the right word.

"He called me over to sit closer and touched my breasts.

"He squeezed my breasts and I started crying.

"He gave me a hug.

"I tried to push him away because I was afraid.

"He gave me a kiss.

"He told me to kiss him back, but I didn't."

Mr Pervais always denied touching the girl inappropriately.

He said the day before the alleged sexual assault the girl had not been happy reading from the Koran.

He told the court: "I asked her to read more and she made a face like she did not want to read anymore.

"She was just sitting very quiet - she was moody."

Mr Pervais described himself as a devout Muslim, but admitted that during a Koran lesson the previous day he had tickled the girl because she was not reading well.

He said: "I am a friendly teacher. They do jokes with me. Sometimes when they don't do things good - I tickle them. I never smack."

Mr Pervais told the court that when he was confronted by the 12-year-old girl's grandfather he was "nearly weeping".

The police were alerted after the girl told her mother.

Mr Pervais was born in Kashmir in 1961, gained a degree in General Arts and was a biology teacher in Kashmir. The married father came to the UK in 1994 to work as an education officer with Watford Mosque. He ceased working at the mosque in 1999.

Following last week's coverage of the case the Watford Mosque has asked to make it clear that it has not employed Mr Pervais for more than eight years.

The mosque says all links with Mr Pervais were severed in 1999 and it has had no association with him since then.