THE doctor who examined the five-year-old boy at the centre of a rape allegation told a jury that his findings were "supportive but not diagnostic" of the complaint made.

Dr David Oliffe, a community paediatrician, took to the witness stand at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday in the trial of Thomas Griffiths.

Griffiths, 25, of Phillimore Road, Dursley, is alleged have raped the boy and to have sexually assaulted him twice, as well as asking him to touch him intimately.

He denies all four counts.

Dr Oliffe said he examined the child on August 29 last year - the day after he (the boy) made a complaint against Griffiths.

He said that slight injuries on the boy's knees and elbows were consistent with normal play.

But elsewhere on the child, he discovered a small tear in the skin and two small elliptical (oval) bruises.

"I'm looking for medical signs," the doctor told prosecutor Lynne Mathews. "Those sort of signs would be consistent with the story I'm given."

Dr Oliffe went on to explain that his findings were supportive but not diagnostic of the complaint.

The jury of nine men and three women heard yesterday that the boy had made the complaint against Griffiths on August 28 last year.

The youngster claimed he had been assaulted twice by Griffiths.

Mrs Matthews said the boy also alleged that Griffiths had asked him to touch him intimately and the defendant had raped him.

The police were contacted and the child was interviewed "delicately", said Mrs Matthews.

During his interview, the boy told police that he had been touched by Griffiths, who had also made him touch him intimately.

On August 30 last year, the jury heard, Griffiths was arrested and vehemently denied the allegations.

Griffiths dismissed some of what the boy said as "silly" and insisted it should be taken with a "pinch of salt".

Griffiths has denied two counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13 between July 6 and August 28, 2007.

He also denied a charge of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity in a non-penetrative nature between the same dates.

He also pleaded not guilty to a fourth charge that he raped a child under 13 between July 6 and August 28, 2007.

The trial continues.