A GIRL smiled for selfies taken by a man before he sexually assaulted her in a park because she did not want to have an "unhappy face" on the photos, she told a court.

The 14-year-old told a jury Mohammed Alfrouh, 20, got her against a tree, put his hands down her pants, groped her over her bra, pulled his own trousers down to his ankles and tried to block her mouth with his hand.

After she got away, he is then accused of joining two other men in a sex attack on her school friend, also 14, behind a pavilion in Leazes Park, Newcastle, in May.

Newcastle Crown Court was played a recording of an interview the complainant gave to police.

She said a group of men had approached them on May 9 as the girls were by the see-saw and asked if they could "play with them".

The girls went back to the park on May 10 after school and saw the group of men, who then followed them.

Her friend was led behind the pavilion by one man, and then Alfrouh got her in a "tight squeeze", put his sunglasses on her head and asked for a selfie, the jury heard.

He took a series of photos of them together, the court was told.

During cross-examination by Sue Hirst, defending Alfrouh, the girl was asked why she was smiling in the selfies.

She replied: "Because he had his arm round us, I couldn't do much. I didn't want to have an unhappy face in it."

Miss Hirst said: "You were quite happy to have those photos taken, weren't you?"

The girl replied: "No."

Mohammed Alfrouh, of no fixed address, denies three counts of sexual assault.

Omar Badreddin, 18, of Ryal Walk, Kenton Bar, and Mohammed Allakkoud, 18, of Tamworth Road, Newcastle, deny a single charge of sexual assault, said to have been on the other girl behind the hut.

The case continues.