A FORMER youth worker from Burnley has appeared in court charged with a child abduction offence.

Michael Heffernan, 57, was also accused of breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO), when he appeared before the town’s crown court.

Heffernan, who worked on the town’s Stoops Estate, was made the subject of a lifetime SOPO in August 2011 after he was convicted of sending sexually- explicit text messages to a 12-year-old girl.

He is banned from contacting, or associating, with youngsters, or having unsupervised children in his house.

Heffernan, of Fir Street, Burnley, did not enter any pleas to the new charges and was remanded in custody until July 15.

The court heard he is alleged to have associated with a youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at his home address, which had led to the breach and abduction charges on May 23.

Recorder Anthony Cross QC was also told by defence counsel Hugh Barton that his client was on police bail over an allegation of sexual touching in relation to a second youngster. Heffernan, who has mobility problems, would be told in early July whether he would be formally charged and prosecuted over the touching claims, the court heard.