A 26-year-old man raped a woman and sexually assaulted another while they slept in two separate incidents, a court has heard.

Macaulay Brown, of Therfield, near Royston, woke a woman up by touching her while she slept at an address in Hitchin.

Brown raped the victim while he believed she was still asleep on October 18, 2018.

Another victim alleged that Brown had stayed at her house in Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, with a group of friends in December 2017.

The victim went to bed, but she woke up to find Brown sexually assaulting her.

Brown denied that both offences had taken place at Cambridge Crown Court.

But he was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault on Wednesday, March 16.

Brown's offences were investigated by officers as part of a joint Hertfordshire Constabulary and Cambridgeshire Constabulary investigation.

Detective Constable Caroline Niwaz, from the Sexual Offences Investigation Team, said that the victims were "brave" in reporting their experiences to police.

DC Niwaz said: "I commend both victims for their bravery in coming forward and supporting a conviction.

"I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of any form of sexual abuse to report it to police.

"Please be assured that we will always treat you with the utmost sensitivity and respect."

Brown is due to appear at Cambridge Crown Court again on Monday, April 25, where he will be sentenced.

A police spokesperson from Hertfordshire said that anybody who may have experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence in the county can contact the Herts Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC).

SARC can provide survivors with practical and emotional support, such as face-to-face meetings, sexual health referrals, or forensic medical examinations for those who want them.

The spokesperson added that the service is open to everybody, no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.

The SARC telephone number is 0808 178 4448.

The service is also available online (Herts.SARC@nhs.net) or by email: https://www.hertssarc.org/

In Cambridgeshire, a SARC is available in Huntingdon.

The Elms is open 24/7 and victims can contact the service online (https://www.theelmssarc.org/) or by phone: 01480 425003