Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been granted bail

Footballer Benjamin Mendy, 27, accused of a series of serious sex offences against young women, has been granted bail.

The Manchester City defender has been accused of eight offences against five different women, including seven counts of rape relating to four women.

The decision was granted by Judge Patrick Thompson following a private hearing at Chester Crown Court.

Mendy has been in custody for 134 days since he was arrested and charged with sex offences on 26 August.

The footballer was held at HMP Altcourse, Liverpool before recently being transferred to HMP Manchester.

He had been due to go on trial this month, but the trial has now been put back to June at the earliest.

He has been bailed until 24 January, until a further pre-trial hearing.

Mendy has played for Manchester City since 2017, when he joined from Monaco for a reported £52m.

The France international defender was suspended by the club after being charged by police, pending an investigation.