A CHARGE against a senior Labour councillor of indecent assault has been dropped, a court heard yesterday.

Martyn Locklin had denied the allegation that he assaulted a teenager between April 1991 and June 1992.

And yesterday, Judge Peter Fox QC told the jury at Teesside Crown Court that the charge had been withdrawn.

Mr Locklin, 41, of Ladybower, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, still faces eight charges - two counts of indecent assault against one boy and two counts of indecent assault against another, and a charge involving a serious sexual assault, two counts of rape and one of indecent assault against a third boy. He denies all charges.

Yesterday, the court heard Mr Locklin, a member of both Great Aycliffe Town Council and Sedgefield Borough Council, deny he had ever sexually assaulted any of his three accusers.

Mr Locklin also denied he had ever given any of the boys alcohol or cannabis. He said he had bought two of them gifts, including a pair of trainers and tobacco.

The jury also heard of his military background between 1976 and 1987.

Mr Locklin admitted he was dismissed from the Army after being found guilty of a charge of assault and spent 56 days in an Army jail for the offence.

Mr Locklin said in 1998 he got a job at Aycliffe Young People's Centre where he worked as a house parent and personal tutor.

He denied ever smoking cannabis on duty while working at the centre - something he had been accused of earlier in the trial.

The jury heard Mr Locklin say that he liked to help people and enjoyed his work as a councillor.

When Jamie Hill, prosecuting, put it to Mr Locklin that he had sexually abused a boy in his care at Aycliffe Young People's Centre, the councillor said: "No, certainly not, never."

Mr Hill then asked: "Are you sexually attracted to teenage boys, do you feel a physical attraction when you are in their company?" Mr Locklin replied "no".

The trial continues