A CREWE man who sexually assaulted a young girl over a period of two years has been jailed.

Arthur Cooke, 60, previously of Sandown Road in Crewe, committed the offences between 1999 and 2001.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison last Thursday (February 4) after being found guilty of five counts of indecent assault of a girl under 16. This was following a three week trial at Chester Crown Court.

Cooke was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

Det. Sgt Kate Palin, from Crewe Local Policing Unit, said: "I hope Cooke's conviction and sentence helps to provide closure to the victim and enables her to move forward with her life.

"I want to thank her for her courage and patience during the investigation.

"I would like to take this opportunity to encourage other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.

"Cheshire Constabulary takes any allegation of a sexual offence extremely seriously, both recent incidents and those that occurred in the past.

"Any report will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim considered as our main priority.

"Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to.

"They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the legal right to remain anonymous."

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire David Keane added: "I know officers work extremely hard to bring sexual offenders to justice.

"I urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault – no matter how long ago the incident took place – to come forward and report it.

"I will continue to work with victims to ensure that they are listened to and are provided with the specialist support they need."

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, or know of someone who has, contact Cheshire Police on 101, here or via Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.