A 71-year-old Kidderminster man who carried out a string of sickening sex attacks on a young girl while living in the Dudley area more than 30 years ago has been locked up for four years.

Judge Nicholas Webb told grey-haired pensioner Roy Beale it was clear his abuse over a number of years had a "deep and damaging" effect on the victim, adding: "It seems likely that will continue."

He said the woman felt the abuse had tainted every aspect of her life and left her feeling as though she was always carrying around a great weight.

"You claim naivety might have been behind what you did but clearly you cannot express responsibility for what happened,"

added the Judge.

Beale, he went on, had first maintained to police officers, after his arrest, his victim had been telling a pack of lies because she was "mean and vicious."

The pensioner, of Amblecote Road, admitted three charges of indecent assault which, said Miss Samantha Powis prosecuting, were specimen counts.

"This was systematic abuse of a very young girl over a number of years," she added. "The abuse was repeated and committed on a regular basis."

Miss Abigail Nixon defending said the offending by Beale ended more than 30 years ago and since then he had led an unblemished life.

"He has been a man of positive good character, " said Miss Nixon, who stressed to the court there had been no repetition of the offending.

The Judge ordered a number of other counts to be left on the file and told Beale he must register as a Sex Offender for the rest of his life.