Date set for veteran BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall to face rape charges

Former broadcaster Stuart Hall (Reuters)

Veteran broadcaster Stuart Hall will be in court in May 2014, to face charges of raping two young girls.

The trial, at Preston Crown Court, is expected to last nine days.

The 83-year-old appeared at the same court for only five minutes on Friday, speaking only to confirm his name.

Hall, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, was a big figure in British broadcasting for half a century, known for his distinctive football summaries on BBC Radio 5 Live.

He is alleged to have committed seven counts of rape against one girl between 1976 and 1978 in Manchester, when she was aged between 14 and 16.

He is also accused of eight counts of rape and one count of indecent assault against his second alleged victim, aged between 11 or 12 and 15 at the time, between 1976 and 1981, at various locations in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

He was remanded into custody to appear at a plea and case management hearing ahead of the trial, on 28 February.