A former councillor is due to stand trial for alleged child sex offences this week.

William James Kirkbride, 57, faces charges of attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and engaging in sexual communication with a child, who he believed to be 14 years old.

He pleaded not guilty at a pre-trial hearing held at Carlisle Crown Court on February 8.

The offences are alleged to have taken place in Whitehaven on October 27 last year.

Kirkbride, of Queen Street, Whitehaven, who formerly represented the Harbour ward on Copeland Council, is due to stand trial at Carlisle Crown Court between May 4 and 6.

In the meantime, he must not have any unsupervised contact with children, must not use any internet sites to have contact with anyone under 18 and must reside at a named address.