A former prison officer is to appear in court following an investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse at a juvenile detention centre, police said.

Patrick Devaney, 79, of County Down in Northern Ireland, has been charged with misconduct in a public office and two counts of indecent assault against a boy under the age of 16.

Avon and Somerset Police said an investigation focused on alleged incidents at Eastwood Park, a former juvenile detention centre, in South Gloucestershire.

A force spokesman said: “These charges relate to offences allegedly committed in the 1970s and 1980s.”

Devaney is due to appear before Judge Martin Picton at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.