A SENIOR North-East councillor has lodged an appeal against his conviction for a string of sex offences.

Martyn Locklin, 41, of Ladybower, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was jailed for 15 years last month.

Locklin, a senior Labour party activist who often accompanied Prime Minister Tony Blair during his visits to the region, was found guilty of eight offences at Teesside Crown Court.

He was convicted of two indecent assaults against one teenager; one serious sexual offence, two counts of rape and one of indecent assault against a second youngster; and two counts of indecent assault against a third boy. All of the offences took place between 1988 and 1996.

Locklin, a former house parent at Aycliffe Young People's Centre, maintained his innocence throughout the three week trial.

The Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed that lawyers representing Locklin have lodged an appeal with the Court of Appeal against both conviction and sentence.

A decision will now be made over whether to grant Locklin leave to go ahead with the appeal.

Locklin, a former leader of Great Aycliffe Town Council and a member of Sedgefield Borough Council, is technically still a councillor.

Anyone convicted of an offence carrying a sentence of more than three months would normally cease to be a councillor.

But Locklin remains a member of both councils until the outcome of the appeal is known.

Michael Rice, Great Aycliffe town clerk, said: "Technically there is nothing in principle to stop him from trying to act as a councillor the best he can in these circumstances."