A NUMBER of women have come forward after police urged potential victims of a man who recklessly infected a lover with HIV to get themselves tested, it emerged last night.

Simon McClure, 38, was jailed this week for inflicting grievous bodily harm on a woman with whom he had unprotected sex, despite knowing he had contracted the virus.

The victim, a mother from Middlesbrough, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has since told The Northern Echo she despises him for passing on the life-threatening condition.

Following the case on Tuesday, a Cleveland Police detective urged others to come forward amid fears that McClure may have had sex with hundreds of women, including prostitutes.

The officer, Detective Inspector Andy Greenwood, revealed last night that “a small number” of women had contacted the force since the appeal, and will be tested for the virus.

Meanwhile, the only known victim of McClure said it was important that anyone who had slept with him should seek medical advice even if they did not want to involve the police.

She did not know she had contracted the virus – or that he even had it – until she later became pregnant and had blood tests.

She gave birth, weeks prematurely, the following day.

McClure was diagnosed with HIV in 2006 following one of his many trips to Thailand.

He is also believed to have been to Switzerland, and is thought to have used prostitutes.

He was jailed for two years and eight months at Teesside Crown Court after Judge Howard Crowson branded his reckless risk-taking in having unprotected sex “pre-meditated”.

“I am sure you knew, everybody is aware of the risks,”

the judge said. “Any form of intimate sexual relationship has a degree of mutual trust, and you breached it by what you did.”

Unemployed McClure, of Miniott Walk, Hemlington, Middlesbrough, was said to have been extremely remorseful, and expressed his regret through his lawyer, Graham Brown.

The court heard that specialists had given him “proper, sensible and clear advice” not to have unprotected intercourse after his diagnosis, and he insisted that he practised safe sex.

Det Insp Greenwood said: “We have had a small number of people come forward who believe they have slept with him. They are now having the necessary tests undertaken to check if they have been infected, along with any counselling they may require.”