Kempston fish and chip shop owner groped teenage girls

A Bedfordshire fish and chip shop owner who groped two teenage girls has received a suspended jail sentence.

Mohammed Javed of Conway Road, Luton, and joint owner of Luci and Lina's Fish Bar in Kempston, near Bedford, admitted sexually assaulting the 16-year-olds.

Javed, 39, was given a six month jail term suspended for two years at Luton Crown Court and must register as a sex offender for five years.

He was fined and ordered to pay costs and compensation totalling £2,400.

He was also ordered to pay the girls £200 compensation each.

The court heard police were called after one of the girls told her mother about the 2008 attack.

'Publicly embarrassed'

Javed initially denied eight charges of sexual assault against the two teenagers and a woman in her 30s.

He changed his plea to guilty on a charge of sexual assault against each of the two 16- year-olds before they were due to give evidence.

On the judge's direction, the jury found him not guilty of two charges of sexual assault against the woman in her 30s.

The other four charges relating to the two girls were left on the file.

Defending, Jacqueline Lule said Javed had been "publicly embarrassed" by the case.

As well as the suspended jail term Javed must abide by a curfew between 2300 BST and 0800 BST for the next three months.