THE trial of a woman accused of making false claims of rape, sexual assault and human trafficking has been put back until next year.

Eleanor Williams was due to stand trial accused of perverting the course of justice at the beginning of next month.

But the trial has now been pushed back by six months.

A trial date has now been set for February 14 2022 at Preston Crown Court. Is is expected to last 10 weeks.

The 20-year-old, of Teasdale Road, Walney, is accused of eight charges of perverting the course of justice between 2017 and 2020, which she denies.

Between October 2017 and January 2018 Miss Williams is accused of making false allegations to the police and falsifying evidence about an allegation of rape and sexual assault which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice.

Between March 2019 and October 2019 she is accused of making false allegations to the police and falsifying evidence about an allegation of rape which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice.

Between May 2019 and October 2019 she is accused of two counts of making false allegations to the police and falsifying evidence about an allegation of rape which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice.

Between June 2019 and July 2019 she is accused of two counts of making false allegations to the police and falsifying evidence about an allegation of rape and sexual assault which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice.

Between July 2019 and October 2019 she is accused of making false allegations and falsifying evidence about an allegation of sexual assault and trafficking which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice.

She is also accused of another charge of perverting the course on May 19 2020.

The August trial was date by Judge Mark Brown at hearing last year and was described as a 'worst case scenario' amid the backlog of cases following the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Williams pleaded not guilty to charges in November 2020.