A 44-year-old man will appear in court charged with raping a 12-year-old boy after allegedly tricking him into searching for his lost dog.

Lancashire police confirmed Craig Bennett, also known as Craig Preece, of no fixed address, is accused of two counts of raping a child, kidnap with intent to rape and making threats to kill.

The youngster was subjected to a brutal sexual assault after a man promised him £10 to search for his pet near Blackburn, Lancashire.

He was lured to a nearby wooded area in Sudellside, Darwen, where he was raped on Wednesday night.

A police spokesman added that Bennett will appear before Blackburn Magistrates Court.