Former world speedway champion Michael Lee has been cleared of rape.

The 54-year-old, of Worlington, near Mildenhall, was found not guilty at Ipswich Crown Court.

He was also cleared of assault causing actual bodily harm in relation to the same woman in December 2012.

Yesterday he was cleared of sexually assaulting another woman by putting his hand up her dress at an end-of-season speedway presentation evening.

Mr Lee had always denied the charges.

Charles Myatt, prosecuting, alleged that in December 2012 the defendant pushed a woman over in a toilet and tried to put a black bin bag over her head before allegedly raping her.

After his arrest in February last year Mr Lee denied sexually assaulting the woman at the presentation evening and described the allegations of rape and assault in relation to the other woman as 'pure fabrication'.

Mr Myatt told the court that Mr Lee had been a 'highly successful' speedway rider in the 1980s and had been world champion.