A PENSIONER who sexually assaulted a Galashiels shop worker by slapping her on the buttocks has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

Seventy-two-year-old Colin Tagg also admitted stalking the woman between June 8 and September 19 by engaging in a course of conduct which was likely to cause fear and alarm in that he repeatedly sent her letters and text messages when requested to stop.

The sexual assault took place in the shop on June 12.

Defence lawyer Ross Dow said his client had no previous convictions and thought he was in a relationship with the woman who was around 15 years younger as they had visited parts of Scotland together.

He added: "He has been naive in the extreme."

Passing sentence Sheriff Peter Paterson told Tagg: "You will be familiar with the expression there is no fool like an old fool."

He fined him a total of £200 for the two offences and ordered him to pay £100 compensation to the woman.

Tagg was also made subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act for the next five years.