Weatherman Talbot denies sex offences

The 64-year-old defendant stood in the dock, hands clasped in front of him, as he repeated “not guilty” 10 times to each of the charges put to him at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

Talbot, who was a regular presenter on the floating weather map in Liverpool’s Albert Dock for ITV’s This Morning, is accused of nine counts of indecent assault and one count of buggery.

The former teacher from Bowdon in south Manchester is alleged to have committed the offences between October 25, 1968, and August 2, 1983, against five male complainants, three of whom were under 16. None of the complainants can be identified for legal reasons.

Talbot, who is on bail, was seated in the dock for most of yesterday’s 20-minute hearing, listening intently as lawyers set a date for his trial, which is scheduled to start on January 19, next year.

Judge Jeffrey Lewis granted Talbot bail until a further preliminary hearing on May 27.

Talbot nodded before leaving the court dock as he was told he was free to go.

His bail conditions mean that he must live at his home address, and that he has no contact with witnesses and alleged victims, nor any unsupervised contact with a child.