A teenager has been locked up for four years for raping a 13-year-old girl in a dark park.

Lee Francis, 18, denied raping the schoolgirl who he had only just met in Horsham town centre.

Francis pushed the girl up against a tree and attacked her before fleeing with her mobile phone, Lewes Crown Court was told.

He claimed the girl told him she was 16 and had consented to sex.

Francis, of Rillside, Furness Green, Crawley, was convicted by a jury at Lewes Crown Court when he appeared before the court for sentence today.

Sarah Lindop defending said: "It was a significant shock he was convicted and he stands by the account he gave."

The court heard the two teenagers were both out with friends when they met in West Street on the night of April 7 last year and started chatting.

The girl, who had been drinking cherry Lambrini with her friend along with Francis, who was with a friend, walked away from the rest of the group. Near Tanbridge School they took a footpath leading to a field where both couples separated.

The girl told the court when she and Francis were left alone he led her towards the edge of the field where he raped her despite her protest. She told the jury: "He pushed me against a tree I didn't want it to happen. I just wanted to try to get away".

She said afterwards he ran off with her mobile leaving her alone in the dark.

The jury heard how the girls life changed dramatically following the sex attack. She became tearful, withdrawn and suffered from panic attacks. She needed treatment for a sexually transmitted disease and had counselling to cope with her ordeal.

Judge Richard Brown told Francis, who was sent to a young offender's institution, he would have to sign on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

He said: "I bear in mind when you committed this offence you were only 17 and had no previous convictions. However, the fact remains the jury convicted you of raping a 13-year old-girl and you have shown no remorse for your activities. She was clearly very traumatised by the events of that evening. The offence is so serious only a custodial sentence can be justified.