B&B final sell-off

THE UK Government has sold the last remnants of its stake in Bradford & Bingley and NRAM, the firm formerly called Northern Rock, which were nationalised during the financial crisis more than a decade ago.

Treasury officials negotiated the £5bn sale of the two entities and their remaining loans to a Citibank consortium in a deal which marks the end of a years-long effort to dispose of assets the Government bought when bailing out banks following the 2007-2008 crash.

A RETIRED English teacher and school rugby coach living in Bristol is due to face trial for multiple charges of child sex abuse.

Peter Holmes, 71, of King Street, appeared at Bristol Crown Court yesterday.

He is alleged to have committed two counts of buggery and multiple indecent assaults and acts of gross indecency, while working at Malsis School in the Craven District of North Yorkshire.

All the complainants are males aged under 14 at the time of the allegations.

The pensioner did not enter any pleas to the charges in the course of a 13-minute hearing.

Edward Hetherington, defending, told the court: “I suspect it is heading for a trial.”

Judge Michael Cullum said a trial of some length was destined to be heard on the North East court circuit, with court centres in

Leeds or Bradford favoured.

The judge adjourned the case to a hearing at Leeds Crown Court at 2pm on March 26.

He said both Holmes and his barrister should be able to attend that hearing remotely via video link. He released Holmes on bail.

Malsis School was based at Malsis Hall, Glusburn, near Crosshills.

It was an independent preparatory school until its closure in 2014.