A Darlington teacher stroked a 15-year-old pupil's bottom and made suggestive sexual comments when he gave her extra lessons after school, a court heard.

Joseph Kerr, 43, is alleged to have asked the girl if she was a virgin and made lewd remarks about her body while helping her with a drama and dance presentation for her GCSE exams.

Teesside Crown Court heard the incidents were alleged to have taken place on November 15 and 16 last year at Haughton Comprehensive school.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said: "The prosecution say the defendant acted in a manner wholly inappropriate towards a pupil, in a manner not befitting of a teacher."

Mr Newcombe said the girl was having trouble expressing herself in a dance routine and asked Mr Kerr if he could help.

He said: "She felt uneasy about his whole approach in the way he was talking to her. He made various comments about her body."

The court heard that, on another occasion, when the girl was performing a dance routine, Mr Kerr stared at her bottom and told her to pretend to be having sex with her boyfriend.

Mr Kerr, of Abbey Road, Darlington, who worked as a teacher at the school for several years, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child.

The trial continues.