The Tremeloes members acquitted of indecent assault

Two members of ’60s pop group The Tremeloes have been acquitted of indecent assault.
Leonard ‘Chip’ Hawkes, 70, and Richard Westwood, 73, were due to stand trial in February, 2017 accused of assaulting a 15-year-old girl in a hotel room in Chester, England after a gig in 1968.
However, a judge at Reading Crown Court ordered both musicians to be found not guilty on Friday (22Jul16) after prosecutor Owen Edwards said there was no evidence to offer to support any criminal charge.
Both members had denied the allegations, and guitarist and vocalist Westwood issued a statement following the ruling to express his relief that “this nightmare has finally concluded with the right decision” after an “utterly horrendous” two-and-half years.
He blasted the handling of the case, adding, “It is too late for me and my family to get back the years of our life that have been destroyed in this process. We were punished and suffered for something that was simply not true.
“It is a disgrace and wholly misleading that a single claim dating back more than 48 years ago was never properly investigated before my good character was attacked… The police must do more to strike the right balance in these cases because as has been shown, they are certainly not doing so.”
He said the charges should have never been brought against them.
The Tremeloes formed in 1958 in London and enjoyed hits in the 1960s, including a number one with Silence Is Golden.