A FORMER primary school teacher has appeared in court charged with a string of sexual offences against two schoolboys.

Lloyd Dennis, 32, faces a total of 28 separate offences, including rape and sexual activity with a child. Wearing a grey, round neck jumper and green chinos, he appeared at Southampton Crown Court via video link and is set to face a four-day trial in September.

Dennis faces charges including the rapes of a boy under 13 and of a boy under 16, sexual assault and six counts of engaging a child in sexual activity.

He also faces a number of charges of making indecent images of children and possessing indecent photos of a child.

Dennis taught at a number of schools, including Bishop’s Waltham Junior School and Cadland Primary School in Holbury, and briefly at Bitterne Park and Sinclair primary schools in Southampton.

All of the schools have been informed of his arrest and contacted by police.

He spoke only to confirm his name during the five-minute hearing.

Judge Nicholas Rowland remanded Dennis, of Sopwith Road, Eastleigh, in custody and told him he will next appear before court in June for a plea and case management hearing.

A provisional trial date for Dennis was set for September this year.