A 75-year-old priest has pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting two teenage boys.

Patrick Fitzpatrick, who used to teach at St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic School for Boys, in Hartlepool, appeared at Hartlepool Magistrates Court today where he faced four allegations of indecent assault.

The attacks took place almost 40 years ago.

The court heard how the incidents had affected the youngsters, who were aged 13 and 14 at the time, with one later attempting to commit suicide and the other never returning to the church.

Fitzpatrick, of Holy Cross Home, Ettrick Grove, Sunderland, admitted the allegations and was given conditional bail. He will be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on a date which has yet to be confirmed.

Magistrates heard yesterday how each boy had gone into the presbytery of St Cuthbert's with the priest, and this is where the abuse took place.

Helen Cox, prosecuting, told the court Fitzpatrick abused each boy twice and in each instance touched their genitals under their clothes. In one case he told the youngster it was to attend to his personal hygiene.

Ms Cox said: "It affected one boy so much he never returned to the church, and the other attributed his criminal activity a year later and attempted suicide at the age of 19 to the abuse."

"It was a serious breach of trust in the case of each boy who were then both urged to keep quiet."

Fitzpatrick was arrested by Cleveland Police child protection unit on September 25, and was charged in connection with the offences on the same day.

Dressed in dark clothing and walking with the aid of a stick, Fitzpatrick spoke only to confirm his name and plead guilty.

His solicitor, Stephen Kettlewell, said Fitzpatrick was a man of no previous convictions and the matter was now in the hands of the court.

He said: "These are very serious offences and he accepts that fact. He has pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and the matter is now in the hands of the court."