Image copyright Met Police Image caption Joseph McCann is accused of 35 offences against 11 alleged victims

A man accused of 35 offences, including kidnappings and rapes, is to deny all the charges, a court has been told.

Joseph McCann, 34, failed to appear at the Old Bailey by video-link.

Mr McCann, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, is charged with offences against 11 alleged victims between 20 April and 5 May.

Jo Sidhu QC, defending, said there would be not guilty pleas to all charges. The judge said the pleas could be taken on the first day of the trial.

"We will proceed on the basis there is going to be a trial on all counts," Mr Justice Edis said.

"The defendant needs to understand that if he chooses to absent himself from the trial it will proceed in his absence."

The trial is scheduled to start at the Old Bailey on 11 November. It is expected the last up to six weeks.

Mr McCann is charged with eight counts of rape, seven counts of kidnap, one count of attempted kidnap, 10 counts of false imprisonment, five counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity, three counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault.

The alleged offences are said to have occurred in London, Hertfordshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.