CAMPAIGNERS last night criticised a decision to cut the sentence of a former Army Red Cap who sexually assaulted two schoolgirls.

Anthony Harrison, of Skirlaw Road, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, had his six-year sentence reduced at London's Appeal Court yesterday.

The 40-year-old was jailed by Durham Crown Court in September after he pleaded guilty to eight counts of indecent assault, gross indecency, and taking indecent photographs of a child.

The court heard he groomed the two with treats and trips to EuroDisney and Disneyland.

Harrison, who was a military policeman for a decade, carried out the offences over a ten-year period when the girls were ten and 11. He plied one victim with wine and kissed her, and sexually fondled the other victim.

Lord Justice Laws, who cut Harrison's sentence to four years, said Harrison had "accepted that he was attracted to pre-pubescent girls and that he was unable to control his behaviour".

The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Owen and Mr Justice Walker, said Harrison had committed very grave offences and that a substantial sentence was called for, but said he was a man of previous good character and had expressed strong remorse.

Lord Justice Laws told the court: "We have concluded that the just sentence would have been four years."

But David Hines, of the North of England Victims' Association, said it was another example of lenient sentences for serious crimes.

He said: "The judge's comments astound me. I feel for the victims -they do not get any second chance. Their lives have been ruined."

An NSPCC spokeswoman said: "Adults who use children for their own sexual gratification make a decision to do this with no regard for the child's suffering and the lasting damage to their victims.

"In general, the NSPCC believes that sentencing should reflect the suffering of the child and the need to protect children from this kind of abuse.