A "vile" man who raped a girl and carried out acts of cruelty against a boy has been jailed for 15 years.

Brian Gillard, 75, raped the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, multiple times and indecently assaulted her over a prolonged period of 15 years in the 1970s and 1980s.

She was aged under 18 at the time of the offences, which were committed in Basildon.

Gillard, now of Pentewan Road in St Austell, Cornwall, also physically and mentally abused a boy, over the course of ten years in the 1970s and 1980s.

The offences were reported to police in May 2017.

Gillard initially denied a number of charges but on the first day of his trial at Basildon Crown Court on July 9 he pleaded guilty to cruelty to a child or young person, indecent assault on a girl, gross indecency with a child on multiple occasions, three counts of rape of a girl under 16 and one count of rape of a girl under 16 on multiple occasions.

He was jailed for 15 years on Thursday, August 9.  

Investigating officer Detective Constable Tiffany Jennings said after the hearing: “I would like to thank the victims for their strength and bravery in coming forward and reporting their abuse to us.

“Brian Gillard committed vile offences against the most vulnerable of all victims. 

“I hope that their courage will give other victims of abuse the confidence to come forward as it is never too late to report abuse, no matter how long ago it took place.”