A 23-YEAR-OLD man appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged with keeping a 15-year-old runaway boy at his home address.

Rory Sean Compton, of Ash Grove, Darwen, pleaded not guilty to taking a child so as to keep him from the lawful control of a person entitled to lawful control.

He elected to stand trial at Preston Crown Court.

Compton was remanded on bail until he appears there.

The court heard the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was reported missing by his mother and did not return for 24 hours.