A court agreed to continue a child abuse trial after a judge realised he had served on the same warship as a defence witness.

Judge Anthony Thorpe told a jury he recognised the witness from his time as a sub-lieutenant aboard HMS Hermes.

He was in charge of personnel and discipline when the ship was on a tour of the Far East 40 years ago.

The judge said he recognised former seaman Colin Watson as soon as he stepped into the witness box at Chichester Crown Court yesterday.

In the interests of a fair trial, a judge is duty-bound to say if he knows a defendant or a witness.

After a short adjournment, the court agreed the trial against Mr Watson's 57-year-old brother Barry, now in its second week, should continue.

Barry Watson, from Bradford, denies 12 counts of rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child in the Sixties.

The offences were alleged to have taken place in the Chichester area when the girl was aged between nine and 15.

The alleged victim, now in her late 40s, cannot be named.

The court heard that DNA tests showed he was almost certainly the father of the baby she had after becoming pregnant when she was 15.

Judge Thorpe was expected to begin his summing up of the evidence today. The trial continues.