A LEISURE centre employee is due to appear in court today charged with sex offences against young girls.

Mark Eyles, 22, of West Auckland Road, Darlington, has been suspended from his post as a leisure assistant at the town's Dolphin Centre while police investigations into allegations were carried out.

He is due to appear at Sedgefield Magistrates Court, in Newton Aycliffe, this afternoon to face three charges of indecent assault on girls aged under 16 and one charge of gross indecency.

An officer at Darlington Borough Council, which runs the Dolphin Centre, confirmed that an employee had been suspended from duty.