A church youth worker has been spared jail despite admitting two sex crimes against young girls.

Kirk Edwards, 25, admitted sexually touching the two girls, who were "not far from their 16th birthdays", between March and June 2012.

He pleaded guilty to two sex offences at the Old Bailey in January but avoided jail after the judge gave him a 12 month suspended sentence on Friday.

In statements read in court from the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, one girl said she felt “scared" and blamed herself.

The other stated: “At first I didn't want to go to talk to police. I would not have taken it further.

“Now I see it was not right and see it was really serious.”

Edwards, of Northcott Avenue, Wood Green was also given a 60-day sex offending supervision requirement and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100 and prosecution costs of £200.