The former manager of Britain’s Olympic table tennis team was acquitted of abusing two teenage girls at a posh Scottish sports club.

Brian Christie, who managed the second-only ping pong squad in British Olympic history, in Barcelona in 1992, had been accused of molesting two youngsters, both now grown women, more than 20 years ago when they were 15-year-olds.

Mr Christie, now 72, was said to have targeted them at Bridge of Allan Sports Club.

The up-market club in the expensive Stirlingshire town counted lawyers, teachers, and even a sheriff among its members. Mr Christie, an insurance broker, coached the junior squash team there.

One of his alleged victims, now 40 and married, said that he touched her breasts, through her clothing, after pushing her into a broom cupboard at the club.

The second woman, now 37, said she was sexually molested by Mr Christie as she lay in the club sauna - against club rules because under-16s weren’t allowed in the Scandanavian-style hot room.

She claimed to have almost immediately told her best friend and her best friend’s mother - but when they gave evidence at Falkirk Sheriff Court, both women said that had not occurred, and if it had, they would have reported the matter straight away.

Mr Christie, of Menstrie in Clackmannanshire, denied two charges of using lewd and libidinous behaviour to the two women, then 15, at the club, in the late 80s and early 90s.

After a three-day trial, a jury of nine men and six women took little more than an hour to find both charges not proven. The verdict was by majority.

On Friday (23 January) Sheriff John Mundy told Mr Christie: “You are acquitted of these charges and you may leave the dock.” Mr Christie sighed and blew out his cheeks in obvious relief.

Thanking the jury, Sheriff Mundy said it had been “a somewhat difficult and anxious case”.