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An ex-porter at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children has been accused of nearly 80 sex offences.

Paul Farrell, 55, is alleged to have targeted seven victims between 1985 and 2018, the Met Police said.

The 79 charges against Mr Farrell, of Camden, north London, include rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault of a child under 13.

He was remanded in custody and is due before Wood Green Magistrates' Court later, the Met said.

News of the charges against Mr Farrell emerged when the hospital issued a statement on Wednesday "regarding media stories about a former member of staff".

Police said he was originally arrested on 16 January and made an appearance at Highbury Magistrates' Court after being charged.

'Truly awful charges'

An ongoing investigation is being led by officers from the Met's Central North Command Unit safeguarding team.

In its statement, the hospital said: "These are truly awful charges and we know that our hospital community, including our patient families, will have concerns or questions.

"Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot go into the details of the case, but we can confirm that the individual who has been charged was dismissed from the trust and we are continuing to work closely with the police.

"Safeguarding children is fundamental to the care we provide and our policies are in line with national best practice.

"If patients, their families or colleagues raise concerns about staff there is a clear and swift process to manage these concerns when they are raised. This includes involving the police where needed."

Correction 27 November 2020: An earlier version of this story stated Paul Farrell faced 84 charges. We have since been informed by the Crown Prosecution Service he faces 79 charges. We have changed the story to reflect this updated figure.