A man who repeatedly sexually abused a child has been jailed for 12 years.

Dale Barnett molested the youngster, who was aged between eight and 10, more than 30 times between April 1999 and early January 2001.

And the 54-year-old tried to have sex with the youngster on one occasion during the same 20-month period.

Barnett, of Grange Drive, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of indecent assault on a child under 13 and one of attempted sexual intercourse with a child under 13.

But following a four-day trial at Swindon Crown Court he was convicted of all but one of the charges.

Because the charges relate to serious offences against a child under 13 he also had a one-year extended licence added to his sentence.

He will also not be automatically released at the half-way point of the sentence but will instead only be freed when the parole board think it is safe.

As a result he will only be able to apply for release after six years and may serve the whole 12 years behind bars.

The jury found him guilty of three counts of seriously sexually assaulting the girl, one of which was a multi-incident count of doing it at least ten times.

They cleared him of a second multi-incident count alleging he did it more than 20 more times.

The panel returned unanimous verdicts on one count that he touched child sexually and a second that he did at least 10 more times.

They also found him guilty by majority of doing the same on at least 20 further occasions.

As well as the jail term he must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and is banned from working with children or vulnerable adults.