A FORMER councillor was last night behind bars after being convicted of a sex attack.

Harry Devine was found guilty by a jury at Durham Crown Court on the seventh day of his retrial on an indecent assault charge.

Devine, who represented himself during the retrial, was led down to the cells after his request for bail was refused.

Judge Richard Lowden adjourned sentencing for three weeks, pending the preparation of reports by the Probation Service, but he told the jury: "At the moment it seems to me that custody is inevitable."

Devine, 54, of Salter's Lane, Wingate, east Durham, was an Independent member of Easington District Council for his home village. His seat was declared vacant by the council last month after he failed to attend any meetings for longer than the stipulated six-month period.

Devine, who was arrested in June 2003, was initially accused of inciting two girls, aged 11 and 12, to commit an act of gross indecency.

He was also accused of indecently assaulting one of the girls, while helping to remove wet clothing on their return from an outing to Scarborough, where the girl had fallen into Peasholm Park lake.

A jury at the original trial cleared him of both incitement charges but failed to reach a verdict on the indecent assault allegation.

Awaiting a retrial, Devine was arrested in Bridlington, on the North Yorkshire coast.

He was accused of approaching a 12-year-old girl and allegedly offering her £10 for sex.

Weeks later he allegedly comforted and spoke several times to a tearful 14-year-old girl in the Cumbrian market town of Kirkby Lonsdale.

A complaint was made and he was spoken to by police, but the girl's mother did not want her to appear at court so no charges were brought.

In January, Devine went on trial for indecent assault of the girl in the Bridlington incident. He was cleared by a jury on the judge's directions. He was granted conditional bail to return for the retrial on the initial indecent assault allegation, which resulted in his conviction yesterday.

Speaking after the verdict, the girl's mother said: "She's over the moon. She was at school, but she was screeching when I told her."

She added: "I don't know what sentence he'll get, but the verdict alone is good enough for me."

Devine, a divorcee with a daughter and grandson, will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on April 5.