A 32-year-old man accused of raping and sexually assaulting children under the age of 13 in Stevenage and Hitchin has denied all the charges.

Nicholas Day pleaded not guilty to seven counts of raping a girl under 13, as well as eight counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 13, when he appeared before Judge Andrew Bright at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday.

The alleged offences are split into two cases by prosecutors. The first, covering events described as happening in Stevenage between December 2009 to July 2011, involves three counts of raping a girl under 13 and six counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 13.

The second, relating to alleged offences in Hitchin between March 2016 and March this year, contains four counts of raping a girl under 13 and two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 13.

The 32-year-old, of Wilbury Hills Road in Letchworth, has been remanded in custody. He is set to stand trial at St Albans Crown Court from Monday, May 21, with the hearings expected to last four days.