FRIENDS of two young girls abused by a pensioner shouted "rot in hell" as he was jailed for six years.

Neil Bancroft, of Glenville Road in Walkford, abused his victims - then aged between 16 and 18, and 10 and 13 - at locations in Christchurch.

He emailed both children after the offences, asking one if she remembered the "wonderful, marvellous, fabulous, terrific, superb" date of her abuse.

The younger victim was on one occasion attacked as she sat on a stairlift. Bancroft later messaged her to ask: "Did you see the new Mrs Brown's Boys about the stairlift?

"It reminded me of the fabulous experience I had with you."

Bancroft, who is now 75, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday to be sentenced after admitting two counts of sexual assault, one of assaulting a female by penetration and one of assaulting a girl under the age of 13. He wore a blue anorak and leaned forward to hear during the sentence.

Sadie Rizzo, prosecuting, said the older victim described to police how Bancroft had made her feel "creepy and sick". The girl "froze" on the two occasions he touched her, Ms Rizzo said.

Bancroft described his victim as "gorgeous and sexy" in emails sent to her, it was said.

The defendant also emailed the younger victim, telling her he was a "disgusting, interfering old ****" and she was "gorgeous."

Bancroft admitted the incident involving the younger victim on the stairlift, but told police the girl - then in her early teens - had been "inviting him to touch her."

Officers from the Probation Service found Bancroft "lacks insight and empathy", it was heard.

James Newton-Price, mitigating, said the defendant's appearance at court is "deeply shameful" for him.

"He is a man of previous good character," Mr Newton-Price said.

"He is infirm. He is relatively fragile, physically.

"He is on seven different kinds of medication every day."

Mr Recorder Donald Tait said the offences appeared to be "entirely out of character."

"I fail to understand why it happened at all, but it did," he said.

"You committed these offences for your personal sexual gratification, [which was] clearly revealed in the messages you sent afterwards.

"Any suggestion [the victims] were somehow complicit I entirely reject."

As well as the six-year prison sentence, Bancroft - previously employed as an industrial chemist at Union Carbide and BP - will be the subject of an indefinite restraining order and sexual harm prevention order.

The defendant's sons shouted "love you dad" as he was taken to the cells. His wife of 44 years attended but felt unable to sit in the courtroom, Mr Newton-Price said.

Speaking after the sentence, a victim's family member said: "I would be very surprised if there weren't any others."

Another said: "He's a paedophile, through and through.

"He's disgusting."