Wigan pensioner in court after being charged with 31 sex offences

The 78-year-old, of St Clement's Court off Worsley Mesnes Drive, is accused of indecent assaults, gross indecency and sexual activity with under-age boys and men.

The alleged incidents span more than a quarter of century between 1978 and 2005.

Some of the charges are so serious that they cannot be dealt with by the magistrates’ court.

Whittle will now appear at Bolton Crown Court in front of a judge on November 11.

No indications have been given to how he will plead.

He was released on unconditional bail until his first appearance before a judge.

Whittle is accused of 10 charges of indecently assaulting a boy.

He also faces three charges of gross indecency and five of buggery with the same boy, as well as one allegation of indecently assaulting the same person when he was a man aged over 16.

Whittle then faces a further four charges of indecent assault on a second boy as well as four counts of inciting him into sexual activity and three of sexually touching him.

Whittle also faces another charge of sexually touching a boy.

The allegations involving the first victim span from 1978 and 1987, while those concerning the second youngster are alleged to have happened between 2001 and 2005.