A MAN accused of a series of sex acts against two young girls more than 20 years ago told a court that the allegations had wrecked his life.

Peter Large, 51, of Bisley Court, Darlington, was giving evidence during his trial at Teesside Crown Court.

The former Rothmans machine operator, who denies two counts of indecent assault and six of indecency with a child, said he believed his career had been ruined and that he was now "ten per cent the person he was".

Quizzed by prosecution counsel Deborah Sherwin about why the allegations had been levelled against him by the two now grown-up women, he said: "I cannot think of any other reason apart from a financial one.

"I have never hurt or attacked anybody."

Earlier, the married father-of-three told the court that he set up his own engineering business in 2000 and was a former chairman of the union branch at the Rothmans cigarette factory.

The court heard that Mr Large befriended the two girls with money and cigarettes and then touched them indecently and took naked photographs of them between June 1982 and July 1984 at his home in Darlington and in his car.

Mr Large was arrested in October 2002 after his alleged victims, both now aged 33, went to police.

Earlier, trial Judge Peter Armstrong had directed the jury to find the defendant not guilty on one of the counts of indecent assault.

The trial continues.