A FORMER council chairman from Hampshire has been charged with child sex offences.

Mark McCormick, former chairman of Bursledon Parish Council, has been charged with 24 offences connected to indecent assaults on children and one count of indecent assault.

Hampshire Constabulary has confirmed that the charges relate to eight different victims and incidents between 1997 and 2014.

It is understood that the 48-year-old from Bursledon stepped down from his public role in the last year, after he was re-elected chairman of the parish council in May 2016.

Last year he was at the forefront of a bitter fight between the parish council and the Bursledon and District Community Association (BDCA) after the parish council were effectively evicted from their offices by the BDCA, which managed the building.

Mr McCormick is also listed as one of the DJs and presenters working for the Southampton-based company Avenue Artistes Limited.

A statement on the company website describes him as Avenue’s number one DJ and says: “He is an accomplished performer who can present or host the more formal events and is also well known for hosting a number of top award ceremonies, conference entertainment and providing voice overs, narration for the corporate and many awards shows across the UK and abroad.

“Mark is an all-rounder who can entertain at any type of event whether it’s a 90-year-old’s birthday or a corporate awards night.”

The company declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Echo.

Mr McCormick has now been bailed to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on November 9.

Eastleigh MP Mims Davies has asked the Bursledon community not to comment until legal proceedings have been completed.

She said: “I was informed today of the charging of Mr McCormick and I would like to thank everyone who has co-operated with the police investigation into these allegations.

“The legal process must now take its course and it would be totally inappropriate to make any further comment until those proceedings have been completed. I do ask for everyone in the Bursledon community to do the same and refrain from comment and speculation regarding this case.”

The Daily Echo contacted members of the parish council but they either declined to comment or were unavailable.