An unemployed man was appearing in court today charged with raping two women in Southend.

Michael Mason, 26, of Weston Road, Southend, was appearing at Southend Magistrates Court following his arrest on Sunday night.

He is accused of raping two women in the town centre in the early hours of Friday.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.