A man in his seventies from Oldham has appeared in court to face a string of historic sexual abuse allegations.

Christopher Pickup, from Underwood Way in Shaw, appeared in Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court yesterday to face a total of 26 charges.

The allegations are said to have begun in September 1971 and finished in April 1974.

The charges all claim that he indecently assaulted boys under the age of 14.

There are a total of 11 complainants in the case, all of whom cannot be named for legal reasons, covered across multiple charges.

The first of these he is said to have indecently assaulted between September 1973 and April 1974.

He faces three counts of this charge, which is said to have taken place in Oldham.

The second complainant he is said to have indecently assaulted between September 1972 and July 1973 in Oldham. He faces two counts of this charge.

He is accused of the same offence against the same victim between over the same time period but this allegation is said to have taken place in York.

For the third complainant he is said to have indecently assaulted him between September 1971 and July 1972 in Oldham. He faces two counts of that charge.

For the fourth complainant he faces a single charge of indecent assault between September 1972 and July the next year.

For the fifth complainant he faces four charges of indecent assault, with one said to have taken place in York and the other three in Oldham.

These are said to have taken place between September 1972 and July 1973.

For the sixth complainant he faces two charges of indecent assault dated between September 1973 and April 1974, both said to have taken place in Oldham.

With the seventh complainant he faces two charges identical to the sixth one.

For the eighth complainant he faces two charges of indecent assault between September 1972 and April 1973 in Oldham.

With the ninth complainant he faces the same charges, the first said to have taken place between September 1972 and April 1973, the second between September 1972 and July 1973, both of them in Oldham.

For the tenth complainant he faces two charges of indecent assault said to have taken place in Oldham between September 1973 and April 1974.

For the final complainant he faces two counts of the same charge between September 1972 and April of the following year.

The charges against the 74-year-old were deemed too serious to be dealt with in that court.

The case was sent to Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court where Pickup will appear in June.