A BROADCASTER who helped set up school radio stations across East Lancashire has been accused of secretly and indecently filming a girl pupil.

David Blaxhall, 47, also faces a number of charges relating to pornographic images of children found on a computer.

He is alleged to have pointed his camera under a girl's desk at St Bede's High School, Blackburn, in July 2006.

Blaxhall, of Longridge Heath, Brierfield, has appeared before Blackburn magistrates where he faced five charges relating to that alleged incident and a further 17 relating to child porn images.

He has been ordered to stand trial at Preston Crown Court and remanded on bail for the preparation of committal papers.

Blaxhall has been running The Radio Surgery, a Brierfield company specialising in training schools and colleges in the art of broadcasting and has worked at schools across the area in the last few years.

They include Gawthorpe High School, Padiham, Edge End High School, Nelson, St Hilda's RC High School, Burnley, Darwen Vale High School, West Craven High Technology College, Barnoldswick, and Park High School, Colne.

Blaxhall hosted a Sunday show at Blackburn-based 107 The Bee radio station at the time of the alleged offences at St Bede's but has not worked for the station since his arrest.

He has previously spent time working at the Nelson-based 2BR radio station.

A spokesman for The Bee said: "The school workshops were operated by The Radio Surgery which is unconnected to 107 The Bee. Mr Blaxhall is a former freelance employee, and has not been on air at 107 The Bee since July 2006."

Andrea Mercer, 2BR station manager, said he was involved with the radio some years before the allegations were made.

Blaxhall's business has used temporary OFCOM licences to teach children about broadcasting technology.

At the launch of Park High School's radio station in November 2005, Blaxhall said: "It's always a great feeling for a school or college when they finally hit the airwaves after all the training and planning.

"A month ago, the students didn't know how to operate the studio mixer, never mind present a radio programme.

"Now they're in the final stages of practising ready to take to the Colne airwaves."