A paedophile who repeatedly abused two young girls over a period of several years is starting a seven-year jail sentence.

Ivor Jensen, 53, a former lorry driver, was convicted by a jury of a series of offences including attempted rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child.

However Jensen, formerly of Eastwood, was cleared of rape charges.

Judge Frank Lockhart told him: "These are really dreadful offences which created an atmosphere of fear, not from physical threats but fear in the minds of two young girls."

He added that the experience "must have contributed quite a lot to the various problems that they have had to undergo in the ensuing years."

The attacks took place against the two girls - now in their twenties - over a period of at least eight years, with one of the witnesses tearfully telling how they started when she was nine years old and only stopped when she was 17.

The other girl told how Jensen had committed indecent acts with her when she was still a schoolgirl, and said that he once tried to rape her, only stopping when she tricked him by saying she had heard other people nearby.

One of the girls had told the jury how, since the attacks, she had twice taken an overdose and had become anorexic.

Jensen, , who had denied all the charges, had claimed the accusations were totally untrue and that the girls had fabricated their evidence - but the jury dismissed his protestations of innocence.

Jensen, whose address was given as a bail hostel in Ipswich, was on Thursday sentenced to seven years for the attempted rape, plus sentences of five years and 18 months for the other offences to run concurrently.

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