A PENSIONER has been fined for pulling a 14-year-old girl’s hair and touching her head at a blues festival.

Terence Bluck, aged 71, of Meadow Close, Kempsey, Worcester, pleaded guilty to common assault after the incident at Upton Blues Festival on July 22.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had a headache after the assault and later stopped going out with friends.

David Devine, prosecuting, said: “The defendant approached her and she [the victim] describes having her hair pulled. The defendant also touched her on the head.

“She complained of suffering from a headache... her attendance at school is down from 100 to 70 per cent.”

Mr Devine said the crime had prevented the girl from going out with her friends unless she is with a relative.

She also told police that the incident had knocked her confidence.

The prosecutor said Mr Bluck’s behaviour gave causes for concern.

Mark Turnball, defending, said the author of a pre-sentence report on the assault was unsure of whether Bluck’s motivation was sexual or if he was just a ‘lonely and naive man’.

The solicitor denied that the defendant’s motivation was sexual, insisting that he was just being friendly.

Bluck has a previous conviction for common assault from October 2009.

Worcester Magistrates Court handed him a 12-month community order, comprising 30 days of rehabilitation activity, yesterday.

He was also ordered to pay a £60 fine, £135 in costs, £50 in compensation and a £85 victim surcharge.

Grahame Bunn, chair of the blues festival, said: “We weren’t informed about it. We are appalled that this has happened.

“We do not condone any actions like this at all, we are mortified that it’s connected to the blues festival.”

The annual festival in Upton, near Worcester, draws in thousands of visitors every year.

Record numbers of people attended this year’s three-day festival.