A man told a jury that he was abused by a priest at his primary school when he was five-years-old.

The man, now aged 46, claimed that Father Francis Moore kissed and sexually abused him on various occasions between January 1977 and August 1978.

He was giving evidence at the trial of Moore, 82, from Largs who denies sexually abusing three boys and a student priest.

The witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the jurors that the abuse took place for the first time after he was sent to Moore by his teachers after drawing a picture of Jesus Christ with nipples."

At the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday he said that Moore told him he had "offended God like the Prods do".

He told the court that he was crying and Moore embraced him and then sexually abused him.

"He said I was a lovely boy and he would make it okay. Time sort of froze," he said.

"He had his hands running up and down my back. He kept saying I was a nice boy.

"I just wanted to get it over. I just wanted to get home to my mum."

The witness told the court he was abused by Moore on four or five months over a six-month period.

He claimed that on one occasion the abuse took place after the priest had taken Mass and was in his vestments.

The witness said: "He said I was a good boy and he wanted to help me. He wanted to put God inside me."

The witness said that he told his mother what he alleged had happened to him, but claimed she hit him, put him to bed without any tea and said he had embarrassed her.

Moore is charged with abusing one of the boys at St Marks Primary School, Irvine, another at the Magnum Leisure Centre, Irvine, and the third at Irvine Beach 40 years ago.

Moore is also accused of indecently assaulting a student priest at a house in Prestwick on various occasions between August 1, 1995 and July 31, 1996.

He also faces a charge of committing a breach of the peace at Prestwick swimming baths on various occasions between August 1, 1995 and July 31, 1996 by repeatedly staring at the bodies and private parts of young boys and others in the pool.

Moore denies all the charges against him.

The trial before judge Lady Rae continues