A MAN has appeared at court charged with the rape and sexual assault of a woman over the weekend.

Alexander Neil Dixon appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court yesterday to face one count of rape of a woman over the age of 16 and one of assaulting a female over the age of 16 on Sunday, October 27.

Dixon, of Burnigill, Meadowfield, Durham, entered no pleas during the hearing.

The 38-year-old was represented by Rory Todd, who said Dixon was a vulnerable person on the autism spectrum.

He is due to appear at Durham Crown Court on the morning of November 27.

Chair of the bench, Alexander Nixon, gave Dixon conditional bail however the decision was appealed by the Crown Prosecution Service and Dixon was remanded into custody.

The appeal was heard at Durham Crown Court on November 1 and the decision was made to remand Dixon pending his hearing at the Crown Court.