A FORMER councillor for Quedgeley Fieldcourt is awaiting jury trial for an alleged 'upskirting' incident has now been charged with a second similar offence.

Lee Hawthorne, 40, who resigned from Gloucester City Council last April, has been further accused of 'upskirting' and is to face the new charge at Cheltenham Magistrates Court next week.

In a brief statement, Gloucestershire Police said:"On January 27, Lee Hawthorne of Abbeydale in Gloucester, was charged with operating equipment beneath the clothing of another without consent.

"He has been bailed to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on February 22."

A police spokesperson confirmed that the new charge concerns an incident that is not related to the original charge and involves a different alleged victim.

It is expected that at next week's court hearing the new charge will be joined with the original alleged offence, which is scheduled for trial at Bristol Magistrates Court on April 14.

The original charge alleges that he committed an offence of upskirting in a shop in Gloucester on June 27.

The new charge relates to an earlier alleged incident on April 23 in an office in Gloucester.

Mr Hawthorne was a member of the ruling Conservative group on the city council but was suspended after the first allegation.

He continued to serve as an independent councillor until April last year when he stood down.

He had served for four years as councillor for Quedgeley Fieldcourt.

He was a member of the city council's overview and scrutiny committee as well as the planning committee.

'Upskirting' is the shorthand term for the use of a mobile phone beneath another person to observe their genitals, buttocks or underwear, without their consent, for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification.

It is an offence under Section 67(A)(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.