Thick of It star Chris Langham goes on trial today

Star of The Thick of It, comedy actor Chris Langham goes on trial today charged with a number of sex offences.

Langham, 57, will appear in Maidstone Crown Court later today to face a total of 27 charges - 12 relating to the indecent assault of a girl under the age of 16, and 15 counts of making indecent images of a child.

Langham denies the charges which allegedly took place between 1994 and 1998, and in 2005.

Chris Langham has a long list of comedy acting and writing credits to his name. His writing credits include Help, Bremner, Bird and Fortune, and Alas Smith and Jones and he has appeared in comedies like Not the Nine O'Clock News, Bottom and Kiss Me Kate.

Langham was also the prominent voice of interviewer Roy Mallard in People Like Us, however it was as bumbling minister Hugh Abbot in the recent political satire The Thick Of It that he is now most well known. His performance in Armando Iannucci's show has earned him a British Comedy Award and a BAFTA for best comedy performance.

Since Langham's arrest in December 2005 two further episodes of The Thick of It have been made without his participation - the action shifted to focus on Malcolm Tucker - Peter Capaldi's fearsome government spin doctor.

Armando Iannucci has not ruled out Langham's return to The Thick of It. If proved innocent it is hoped the star will re-join the sitcom for a new six part series at the end of the year. Iannucci said in a recent newspaper interview: "I said to Chris, 'I'll wait' - he has to have time to deal with the trial. It would be unfair to make any sort of decision until that's all over. At the end of the recent special [Spinners and Losers], Hugh Abbot touches down from Australia. I certainly didn't want to write out the character."