A DRIVING instructor who is accused of indecently assaulting several of his pupils was described in court as "over friendly" by a witness.

She was giving evidence in a case in which 56-year-old Alan McLoy, of Penallt Estate, Llan-elly Hill, Abergavenny, has pleaded not guilty to 13 charges of indecent assault involving six young women.

He also denies two charges of sexually assaul-ting one of them. Prosecutor Nicholas Gareth Jones has alleged at Cardiff crown court that McLoy regularly used every opportunity not just to chat up but "touch up some of his pupils".

Matters came to light said Mr Jones at the end of June last year when one of the women made a complaint.

A witness told the jury she started having lessons in 2002. McLoy had been recommended to her and she had about 30 lessons before passing her test.

"Maybe he was more friendly than you would expect a teacher to be," she said.

She added: "The way he behaved was not how you would expect someone in his profession to behave." She said he would make contact and interlink his hands with hers, tap her knee and when she passed the driving test he said: "Give us a kiss". She described the situations as awkward.

"He touched me on the knee every lesson and there was sexual innuendo," she said.

The witness said she knew his behaviour was wrong but continued the lessons because she was keen to pass her test.

"I always thought there were two sides to him. There was the professional side and when he parked up he could be very informal, over friendly." Proceeding