A 76-year-old March man has appeared before magistrates charged with 11 historic sex offences including the rape of two children, a boy and girl.

He has also been charged with taking indecent photographs of children and seven other offences of indecent assaults on children.

Allan Trevor Hammond, from Steeple Drive, March, who previously lived in Essex, is accused of crimes in Saffron Walden, Colchester, Enfield, Chigwell and Chingford. He appeared before Colchester magistrates on Tuesday and is due to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on February 16.

He was released on conditional bail and told not to make contact in any way with his three named, alleged victims, either directly or indirectly.

He is accused of assaults across four decades from the early 1960s.

Hammond is a former sales representative and now a company director.