A PENSIONER will face trial after he denied sexually abusing two children.

Derek Fothergill pleaded not guilty to 10 sexual offences against children when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday.

The 72-year-old of Weaver Close, Droitwich, was formally arraigned by the clerk of the court when he appeared before judge Robert Juckes QC, denying all charges on the indictment.

In relation to the first complainant Fothergill denied two sexual assaults against a child under 13 and two count of sexual activity with a child.

These offences are alleged to have taken place between May 26, 2012 and May 25, 2016, beginning when the child was 11. Some of the counts involve sexual assaults said by the prosecution to have taken place on 'at least two occasions'.

Fothergill further denied three counts of sexual assault against a child under 13 and three counts of sexual activity with a child against the second complainant.

This alleged abuse was said to have occurred between September 30, 2010 and June 7, 2018 and to have involved a child aged between seven and 15 years.

Some of the counts involved assaults said by the prosecution to have happened on 'at least five occasions' and one involved penetration.

Neither of the complainants can be identified for legal reasons.

The case was prosecuted by Michael Conry. Fothergill was represented at the hearing by Lee Egan.

The trial, which is scheduled to last four days, is scheduled to take place on December 9 this year at Worcester Crown Court.

Bail was granted on condition Fothergill does not have unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 18 and does not have any contact directly or indirectly with prosecution witnesses.