A MAN has denied two charges of grooming underage girls and has been banned from the Hive in Worcester.

Alfred Roberts, aged 41, of Avon Road, Worcester, denied grooming two girls both aged under 16 when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Monday.

Both offences are alleged to have taken place on August 8 last year and both girls were aged 13 at the time.

He is said in the charge to have communicated with each of the girls twice while not reasonably believing either of them were over the age of 18.

It is also said in relation to each girl that he 'intentionally met' and 'intended to do something to or in respect of her during or after the meeting'.

Jackie Rogers, prosecuting, said the case was not suitable for summary trial in Worcester Magistrates Court. Barry Newton, defending, made no representations.

The next hearing is to take place at Worcester Crown Court on June 29.

His bail conditions are not to have any unsupervised contact with any child under 18 other than in the course of daily life, not to go within a hundred metres of a school play area or any area intended for use by people under the age of 18, not to contact directly or indirectly the two complainants, not to access the internet or use social media and not to enter the Hive in Worcester or any other library in England or Wales.