A PUB boss raped a young woman after sending her sexually suggestive text messages, a jury at Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Kevan Lawson, 59, is accused of molesting the complainant while she was staying overnight at the Old Swan Inn on High Street, Gargrave, in August, 2013.

The woman, who was 20 at the time, alleges Lawson got into bed with her when he was very drunk and forced her to perform sex acts on him.

Lawson, who was living at the pub, pleads not guilty to one offence of oral rape and three charges of sexual assault, all on the same date.

Prosecutor Philip Standfast told the court that Lawson sent the woman sexually suggestive texts and she replied "in the same sort of vein", thinking it was just banter.

She told him the messages were inappropriate and showed some of them to her friend, Mr Standfast said.

Lawson offered her a room at the pub one night when a friend she was supposed to be staying with let her down, the court was told.

The woman said Lawson had been drinking heavily and came into her room wearing just his dressing gown after she had gone to bed at 9.30pm.

In her police interview, she said he told her he wanted a cup of tea.

He then grabbed her hand and made her touch him indecently, before forcing her head down and raping her.

She said she nipped his leg to make him stop.

She was "crying her eyes out" and told him: "I just want you to leave me alone," the jury heard.

"I said I didn't want to do it but he just wouldn't listen," she told the police.

A male friend picked her up from outside the pub that night and her father called the police when she told her parents what had happened.

Mr Standfast said Lawson maintained the woman "wanted a cuddle" and so he got into bed with her.

He claims she had been drinking at the bar.

"He said she had come on to him and he had fallen for it," Mr Standfast said.

The trial continues.