A 69-year-old from Bury St Edmunds has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of historic sex abuse against a boy.

Richard Alston, of Vinery Road, pleaded not guilty to the allegations when he appeared before Southwark Crown Court.

Alston is accused of abusing a child between January 1977 and February 1980.

The charges include six counts of indecent assault on a male and four counts of indecency with a child.

Alston’s trial, expected to last 10 days.

It was set to be heard at Southwark Crown Court on August 17 next year.

There will be a pre-trial hearing which is scheduled to be held on July 20.

Alston was released on conditional bail at the end of the plea hearing.

His co-defendant Charles Napier has been found not guilty of a historic sex abuse charge.

The 67-year-old pleaded not guilty to inciting a boy under the age of 14 to commit an act of gross indecency with another.

The allegation dates back to between February 1978 and February 1979.

Judge Anthony Leonard QC, sitting at London’s Southwark Crown Court, then ordered that he be found not guilty of the charge after being told there was no evidence to support it.

Prosecutor Peter Clement told the court: “The evidence against him is very narrow compass and lacks the necessary precision and certainty upon which a jury can safely rely and act.”

He said the investigations in to the allegation against Napier were met with responses such as “possibly” and “not sure”.

Napier, of Newland in Sherborne, Dorset, remains on conditional bail with regard to further allegations. These are to be dealt with at the same venue on November 18.