A FORMER Oswaldtwistle teacher is to stand trial accused of a sex offence involving a boy pupil.

Donald Hunt, 51, is alleged to have carried out the offence when he was a teacher at Rhyddings High School in the 1980s.

He now lives in Whitehaven, Cumbria.

Hunt, who is believed to have been head of religious education at the school, has been charged with inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency between August 1984 and September 1989.

He is also charged with indecent assault on an adult male between August 1984 and August 1987.

As a result of the charges, Hunt has been suspended from his current job at Whitehaven Secondary School, where he is understood to have worked for several years.

He denies the charges and will appear at Burnley Crown Court on February 27 for a three day-trial after his case was committed by Hyndburn magistrates.

The allegations came to light after a complaint was made to Lancashire police in 2004 by a former pupil at Rhyddings.

Hunt has remained off work with full pay for the past 15 months.

Bosses at Rhyddings refused to comment on the court proceedings.

But Malcolm Smith, headteacher at Whitehaven School, confirmed a teacher had been suspended.

He said: "I cannot comment on details of a case that has a trial pending, but can confirm that a teacher was suspended and will appear in court.

"I am writing to parents to let them know that the teacher in question was suspended immediately the police alerted the school to the alleged offences.

"The safety of our pupils is always the primary concern at Whitehaven School and this is a matter that has been taken extremely seriously."