A former councillor who indecently assaulted a schoolgirl has been jailed for the protection of the public.

Harry Devine, 54, touched the youngster's private parts after taking her to his home in Salters Lane, Wingate, County Durham, in summer 2002.

He denied any wrongdoing but was found guilty by a jury at Durham Crown Court earlier this year.

Devine was a former independent member of Easington District Council for his home village.

He was first elected in 1999 and re-elected in May 2003, weeks before the allegation against him came to light.

His seat was declared vacant by the council after he failed to attend any meetings for longer than the stipulated six-month period.

Devine was arrested in June 2003 and initially accused of inciting two girls to commit an act of gross indecency as well as the indecent assault charge. He was cleared of gross indecency charges, but jurors failed to reach a verdict on the indecent assault.

While awaiting a re-trial, he was arrested in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, accused of approaching a 12-year-old girl and offering her £10 for sex.

He was cleared of the Bridlington incident by a jury.

Yesterday, he was jailed for 22 months at Newcastle Crown Court for the indecent assault of the schoolgirl, who was aged about 11 at the time of the attack.

Judge Richard Lowden also ordered Devine should be the subject of a sexual offences prevention order for five years.

Devine must register as a sex offender for ten years.

Judge Richard Lowden told him: "If unstopped, there is a significant risk of you posing serious harm to adolescent girls.

The judge said the prison sentence would have been 12 months but he added a further ten months "to protect the public from serious harm".