Australian entertainer Rolf Harris has appeared in a London court via videolink charged with seven counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual touching.

The 86-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 1971 and 2004 and relate to girls and women who were aged between 12 and 27 at the time.

Harris appeared in Southwark Crown Court via videolink.

The judge presiding over the trial, Alistair McCreath, said the former television host was "not a young man and it naturally makes a lot of sense for him to attend his trial remotely".

The trial is set to begin on Wednesday.

A jury of seven women and five men has been chosen, but they are yet to be sworn in.

Justice McCreath warned the potential jurors that they should not do their own research into the allegations.

He stressed that to do so could lead to a "dysfunctional and corrupt trial".

The prosecution is expected to open its case on Wednesday.

The trial likely to run for five to six weeks.