A PENSIONER who is accused of raping a young girl and sexually abusing two others is to face trial by judge and jury.

Peter Compton, 67, is charged with carrying out the offences against the children over a 25-year period. Compton is accused of two counts of rape and one of threats to kill a girl who was under 16 between 1969 and 1973.

is also accused of three cases of indecent assault during the same dates: one when she was under 13 and two when she was under 16.

The second girl claims he indecently touched her before she turned 13 between mid-1976 and the end of 1980. He is accused of four similar offences against a third female under the age of 13 between 1990 and 1994.

Compton, of Booth House, Spring Gardens, pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, one of threats to kill and nine of indecent assault when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court.

Judge Douglas Field adjourned the case until February 25, and released him on conditional bail.

He told him he must not contact witnesses, must stay out of Cirencester and must not have unsupervised contact with under-16s.