A Bedwyn man, who committed appalling sex attacks on a girl aged just eight, has been told by top judges that his seven-and-a-half-year jail term was not a day too long.

John Andrew Kettle, 57, took advantage of the girl to slake his thirst for paedophile sex, London's Criminal Appeal Court heard.

Kettle, of Little Bedwyn, was caged after being convicted of three counts of indecent assault at Dorchester Crown Court in August last year.

Today he asked Lord Justice Davis, Mr Justice Supperstone and Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC to reduce that sentence, claiming he had been treated too harshly.

Observing that "all she had wanted was attention", Judge Hilliard said that, of that stage in her life, "all that she could now remember was being abused".

Lawyers for Kettle today argued that the sentencing judge had gone over the top.

But Judge Hilliard, throwing out the appeal, said: "The sentence of seven and a half years was undoubtedly a very severe one, but these were very serious offences. "This sentence was not manifestly excessive."