Ex-Mayor's child sex assault trial halted

THE child sex assault trial of ex-Rotherham Mayor Barry Dodson (pictured) was dramatically halted this morning.

Sheffield Crown Court was told there was an issue with one of the jurors, who had been forced to attend to an important family commitment.

The jury was discharged and the trial is due to restart with a new jury this afternoon.

Dodson, who stepped down as Mayor three weeks after being appointed last summer, dies indecently assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Rotherham in 1987.