North Yorkshire Police have closed their investigation into an alleged sexual assault in a North Yorkshire village.

A boy told them he had been touched on the back by a man as he was riding his bike in Hirst Courtney last week.

As well as investigating the incident, police also acted to reassure residents in the area.

Now, after looking at CCTV of what happened last Wednesday and carrying out other investigation, they have concluded there was no evidence of a crime being committed.

Detective Sergeant Matthew Marshall said: “We hope that our response to this incident can reassure residents that the safety of our communities’ children is of paramount importance and we did take this incident seriously.

“We are thankful to the local residents for their help and co-operation in this matter, providing us with the evidence we needed to progress the investigation.

“We are also thankful to the local neighbourhood policing team for their rapid response and hard work in collating the evidence and providing a visible reassuring presence in the village.”

A spokesman for the force said the incident had been reported "with good intentions".