A FORMER altar boy told a jury that a priest sexually abused him twice on a beach.

The 49-year-old was giving evidence at the trial of 82-year-old Father Francis Moore who denies sexually abusing three boys and a student priest.

The offences are alleged to have been committed between 1977 and 1996.

Yesterday at the High Court, the witness said that the abuse took place when he was 11 and Moore was his parish priest.

The witness said that Moore and a group of altar boys would go to Irvine beach and that he had been there twice alone with the priest.

He said: “After we finished with the swimming he would take an interest in drying me.”

The witness was asked if he was wearing his swimming trunks and replied: “Not when he was interested in drying me.”

The man told the jury that the priest went behind him and sexually abused him.

The witness said that he told no-one what happened until he was 17 or 18 and told a school friend.

Earlier another man said that when he was aged between 11 and 13 he and a group of others went to the Magnum Leisure Centre in Irvine with Moore to swim.

In the changing room the man, who is now 52, said that as he stood getting dried in the communal changing room Moore said: “We're all boys here,” and tried to grab the towel.

Moore, from Largs, denies sexually abusing three boys and a student priest.

He is charged with abusing one of the boys at St Marks Primary School, Irvine, another at the Magnum Leisure Centre, Irvine, and the third at Irvine Beach around 40 years ago.

Moore is also accused of indecently assaulting a student priest at a house in Prestwick on various occasions between August 1, 1995, and July 31, 1996..

He also faces a charge of committing a breach of the peace at Prestwick swimming baths on various occasions between August 1, 1995, and July 31, 1996 by repeatedly staring at the bodies and private parts of young boys and others in the pool.

Moore denies all the charges.

The trial continues.