The former chief executive of a specialist academy trust set up by the government has been charged with historic child sex offences. 

Gareth Mason, the former chief executive of Falcon Education Academies Trust and the former director of education and executive principal at Delta Academies Trust, is due to appear at Leeds District Magistrates’ Court next month. 

West Yorkshire Police said in a statement that Mr Mason had been charged with sexual offences that are alleged to have occurred in Wakefield between 2001 and 2002.

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In the statement, police said that the offences are for “indecent assault and attempting to commit an act of gross indecency and relate to a single female who was under the age of 16 at the time”.

Falcon Education Academies Trust was set up by the government to take on struggling schools in the North of England that had a history of educational underperformance or financial problems.

The move was announced by former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson in 2019.

A spokesperson for Delta Academies Trust, where Mr Mason worked before being seconded to Falcon, said: “We can confirm that Gareth Mason has not worked for the trust for a number of years.”

Falcon Education Academies Trust and the Department for Education have been contacted for comment.