A MAN convicted of sexually abusing a boy and girl over a number of years was yesterday jailed for three years and six months.

Durham Crown Court heard that William Sherrington, now 64, systematically abused the boy from 1973 to 1980, when his victim was aged between eight and 14.

He also committed an indecent act on a ten-year-old girl in July 1999.

Sherrington, of Argent Street, Easington Colliery, County Durham, denied three specimen counts of indecent assault on the boy.

He was found guilty by a jury at the court case last month.

He denied committing an act of gross indecency on the girl in a separate trial earlier this year, when a guilty verdict was also returned.

The court heard Sherrington's record included sex offences against children in 1964 and 1970.

Prior to sentence yesterday, Sherrington's barrister, Annelise Haugstad, said that since the trials, he had fully admitted the offences and was very sorry for what he did to the children.

She also said he suffered a number of health problems and said that he now presented no danger to the public at large.

But, jailing him, Judge Richard Lowden told Sherrington: "It's said you are sorry.

"Yet, you weren't sorry enough to plead guilty at trial, and so the victims have had to give evidence."

Quoting from a pre-sentence report, Judge Lowden said: "It's said you present a high risk of future offending."

However, he said: "I take the point your counsel has made that now it is out in the open the risk is not so great."

The judge ordered the licence period to be extended for two years when Sherrington was released to ensure "greater protection" for the public.

He also said Sherrington should sign the sex offenders' register for life.