A SIXTEEN-year-old boy is to face trial by jury after pleading not guilty to four counts of raping his young male cousins.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to the matters at Swindon crown court.

Three of the charges relate to a 10-year-old boy and the other to a boy who was aged 14 at the time of the alleged incident.

The teenager also denied an attempted rape and sexual assault against the older of the boys, who also can't be identified.

All of the offences were said to have taken place between May 1 and December 13 last year.

The young defendant was released on conditional bail and the matter was adjourned to a trial date to be fixed.

An earlier hearing before magistrates at the town's youth court was told that the complainants in the matters were the cousins of the defendant.