FORMER mayor of St Helens John Beirne has been charged in connection with historic sex offences dating back to the 1970s, detectives have confirmed.
John Beirne, 55, of Blackdown Grove, Parr, has been charged with seven counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14 years, two counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16 years and five counts of gross indecency with a boy under the age of 16 years.
The alleged offences took place between 1976 and 1979, when Beirne was a teenager.
He will appear at Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates Court on Wednesday, November 16.
Beirne, a town centre hairdresser, has been a vocal figure on the St Helens political landscape for the past two decades, representing the Liberal Democrats and UKIP.
He is a former councillor and held the ambassadorial role of mayor in St Helens during 2008 and 2009.
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