A 59-year-old religious teacher has appeared in Court charged with ten counts of assault on children at a mosque.

The teacher, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Bingley magistrates court yesterday.

The alleged offences took place over four days in December, 2010 at the Markazi Jamia Mosque in Emily Street, Lawkholme, Keighley.

The man was the teacher at the mosque at the time. Earlier this year the Keighley Muslim Association said the man connected with the allegations was no longer working at the mosque The grey-bearded man, of Keighley, appeared in court wearing traditional clothes and a hat.

The hearing took just ten minutes before the bench at the Bingley magistrates.

He faces ten different charges of assaulting persons unknown by beating.

These were said to have taken place on four specific dates.

Three charges of assaulting persons unknown by beating were said to have taken place on December 6, three were alleged to have happened on December 7, one on December 9, and three on December 13.

The bench was told the application was for an adjournment until July 7 at Bradford Magistrates Court and that the man had surrendered his passport to police.

Presiding magistrate, Carl Davids, told the man he would be granted bail with conditions not to contact children or young people who attended the mosque in Keighley. Mr Davids asked the man if he understood, and he replied yes.