A TEACHING assistant has admitted her was 'over familiar' with youngsters at the school he worked at but denies any sexual wrongdoing.

David Billington told Preston Crown Court he was shocked to learn of allegations he had touched a number of girls at the St Anthony's Primary School, Shadsworth, Blackburn.

Giving evidence at Preston Crown Court, the 46-year-old, of Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, said: “I was seen as the fun teacher, teaching assistant.

“I would play with the children at break-times and lunchtimes, organise all the clubs and everything.

“I wasn’t as strict as the main teachers. I let my defences down.”

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Billington denies nine counts of sexually touching six girls under 13.

He told the court there was a time when some of the girls at the upper end of the school would try and sit on his knee but he would push them away.

He broke down in tears as he said: “I think when a child has tried to sit on my knee and I’ve pushed them off, that another child has seen that and it has become the chat of the playground, Chinese whispers, and then the children were calling me a paedophile.”

Asked about an allegation that he had kissed one of the children, Billington said the girls had kissed him on the lips but he had found it embarrassing.

He said: “Just to break the ice, I said ‘Crikey, you’ll get me sacked for that.’”

But he said nothing more was said about the incident and shortly after he gave the girl a lift home.

Billington also told the court he had spoken to the mother of another of the girls on the telephone, after the youngster had told a friend he had touched her bottom, and the friend’s mum telephone Billington’s wife.

He said: “I was shocked. I was disgusted that a child could think I would do something to them, especially one like her, who I got on so well with.

“I rang her mum. She said, ‘she’s not in at the moment. I’ll speak to her when she gets in, in five or 10 minutes.’

“After she had spoken to her, the girl’s mum rang me back. She said, ‘I’ve spoken to her and repeated what you’ve said to me. The girl turned round and said she’s lied, so don’t worry about it.’

“It was resolved in a way, I suppose. As far as I was concerned the matter had been dealt with.”

However the youngster later came forward and made a complaint against Billington, along with five other girls who claim he touched them inappropriately.

(Proceeding)