A 49-year-old man is on trial at Bradford Crown Court accused of repeatedly raping and sexually abusing two boys over a 12-year period.

Patrick Kerin is said to have given the youngsters sweets, money, cigarettes and alcohol to keep them quiet.

He is alleged to have abused the youngsters between 1996 and 2008 when both he and their families were living in Bradford.

Kerin, who now lives in Persimmon Walk, Newmarket, Suffolk, denies 17 allegations of raping and sexually abusing the boys.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron told the court yesterday the boys were now men in their 20s.

The first alleged victim went to the police in 2009 and officers then traced and interviewed the second man.

The first complainant said he was aged 12 or 13 when the abuse started. It began with sexual assault and progressed to rape after two years.

His police interview, which was made two years ago, was played in court yesterday.

The second man interviewed by the police told a support worker ten years ago Kerin had abused him, Mr Hendron said.

He said the support worker had been traced and confirmed that such a conversation took place.

The man said he was 11 when Kerin began sexually assaulting him.

He started self-harming and taking drugs and the defendant told him no- one would believe him because he had suffered mental health problems, it is alleged.

Kerin denied all the allegations when he was interviewed by the police.

He told officers the second boy was a problem child, troublesome, drunk and violent.

He said he himself was too crippled with arthritis to have sexually abused either of them.

The trial continues.