A former top civil servant with the Department of Health has admitted that his texts to a young teenage boy had been "inappropriate".

But self-confessed foot fetishist Mark Levett, 50, denied they were part of a plan to seduce the schoolboy.

He said: "I have a sexual interest in feet... but I had no interest in engaging in sexual activity with him."

Levett, of Water Street, Deal , admitted sending a string of messages to the teenager who he had met when he was working at Walmer Science College.

Among the texts read out to the jury at Canterbury Crown Court included: “Yup... was expecting some sweaty piggies to be presented this afternoon after all that exercise”

And: “Nice coffee in the sun by the water... say dreaming of you and your socks just now actually ;0) ccccccxc”.

Later Levett, who denies a charge of grooming the teenager for sex, added: “Indeed..and now it’s lunch and I’m still thinking of you... Must be love ;O)”

"I have a sexual interest in feet... but I had no interest in engaging in sexual activity with him" - Mark Levett

But the retired civil servant – who has completed a master’s degree in music - told the jury that it was just "banter".

His barrister Andrew Jeffries QC asked: "You have a sexual interest in feet?"

Levett replied: "That's correct".

But he added: “I had no intentions of having any sexual relations with him.”

Levett told the court he had worked for the Health Department for 12 years but took redundancy when staff were re-deployed to Leeds.

After a period, he took the post at Walmer Science College “under the banner of a teaching assistant” providing pastoral care for students, which included helping them take part in Prince’s Trust work.

It was while he was at the college that he was also involved in “child protection issues involving abuse, abuse and substance abuse.”

Levett told how he met the youngster and began sending and receiving messages via text, Whatsapp and Facebook.

He added that when his employment with the college ended in 2013, he continued to text the teenager, receive and give gifts and invited him to his home.

Mr Jeffries QC asked: “At that and another meeting did you either then or in the future, have any form of sexual interaction towards him?”

Levett replied: “Of course, not. People of that age don’t interest me, so it wouldn’t have crossed my mind.”

But he later admitted that “on reflection” some of the text messages he sent, including kisses and calling the boy “baby”, had not been "appropriate".

“It had been all part of the general banter and maybe slightly over-the-top and sugary way that many of the school group spoke with each other. On reflection it looks dreadful.

“But it was just a joke but they were not genuine expressions of emotions to the boy. I can assure you that’s not the spirit in which they had been sent. They were not an expression of undying love and affection but just, in a way, saying ‘best wishes’.

“It is a difficult case to argue. I have written what I have written and they shouldn’t have been written because it’s inappropriate. But they were not driven by any sexual desire towards the boy.”

The case continues.