A former BBC presenter alleged to have carried out child sex offences has said she masturbated one of her accusers, but he was 17 at the time.

Julie Wadsworth, who along with husband and former co-broadcaster Tony Wadsworth is alleged to have indecently assaulted seven boys in the 1990s, told police: "I'd no reason to believe he was under-age."

The pair are on trial at Warwick Crown Court accused of encouraging boys to take part in sexual activity in wooded areas of Warwickshire between 1992 and 1996.

After her arrest, the 60-year-old spoke to police and accepted having sexual contact with one of the males, now in his 30s.

She said: "To start with it was just touchy-feely, a fumble, but then became masturbation - on both our parts.

"I'd no reason to believe he was under-age, he was 17."

In an interview transcript read to court on Tuesday, she described it as "just a bit of fun", but that it ended when her husband became suspicious and both parties "decided it ought to stop".

Mrs Wadsworth said she would never sunbathe topless, as has been alleged, because she was "not confident in my body", but that she and Mr Wadsworth had sex in the woods.

She added: "We'd nip into the woods and if we heard anybody coming we'd stop - we wouldn't openly display ourselves.

"We just went down and had sex in the woods from time to time, it's so embarrassing.

"We like to spice up the sex life, but those boys? I don't recognise any of their names."

The Wadsworths, from Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, deny five counts of outraging public decency which allege they engaged in sexual activity "against a tree" in view of others between July 1992 and June 1996.

Mrs Wadsworth has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of indecent assault, and her 69-year-old husband denies 10 counts of the same offence.

Earlier, the man Mrs Wadsworth accepted masturbating claimed in court he "felt guilty" for attempting to get back in touch with her, years after the alleged abuse.

He has alleged he had sex with Mrs Wadsworth up to 15 times, between the ages of 14 and 18, including once when her husband joined in.

The Wadsworths have worked for BBC Radio Leicester and Birmingham-based BBC WM.

During cross-examination, Mrs Wadsworth's barrister David Hislop claimed the alleged victim became angry because she rejected his advances.

The complainant replied: "Yeah, I was probably too old."

He denied having become "wholly obsessed" with her, only reporting the couple to police when his "heartfelt" messages were ignored.

In a message he accepted sending her on Facebook in 2015, he said he wanted to meet her.

It read: "Been years - I still look back very fondly on fun times xx."

Another said: "I hope you don't see me as a stalker or a nuisance or anything like that - I'm a genuine guy and do really look back fondly on our time.

"I learnt a hell of a lot during our friendly chats.

"I would love to show you how much my knowledge is growing - if not a practical debate, then perhaps just theory.

"It would be nice to meet again, anyways xx."

He claimed in court that he deleted the messages minutes later hoping they were unread, and just over two weeks later made allegations about the couple to police.

He also sent an email through Mrs Wadworth's BBC Leicester contact address, which went unanswered.

He told the jury on the fifth day of the couple's trial: "I kept going back when the abuse was happening.

"I didn't really want to do that. Afterwards I felt guilty, it was terrible."

He said it was only after receiving professional child protection training that he reported his own allegations to police.

The court heard from another alleged victim who claimed he was masturbated by Mrs Wadsworth in woodland, as his friends waited nearby.

Afterwards, he claimed: "She said, 'go and get one of your mates'."

He told the court: "I pulled my trousers up and went over to my mates and said, 'who's next?'"

The trial was adjourned until Wednesday.