A "serial abuser" from Watford who preyed on children and young teenagers for more than 30 years was jailed for ten years today.

Leslie Bennett, 61, was born in Watford in 1947 and previoulsy lived in Repton Way, Croxley Green.

Between 1977 and 1999 he committed a string of sexual offences against children in Watford, Stevenage, Sandy, Surrey, and in Alicante, Spain, when he moved there in 1988.

The five victims were boys and girls aged between seven and 15, who were each subjected to Bennett's abuse for several years.

On Friday, September 19, Bennett pleaded guilty to ten offences against these victims - five counts of indecent assault on girls under 14, three counts of indecent assault on boys under 14, and two counts of gross indecency against boys under 18. He remained in custody while awaiting his sentence at St Albans crown court.

Detective Constable Jo Goodson said: "This is a really positive result and would not have been possible without the courage and determination of the victims and their families through this lengthy investigation. I would like to thank them for all their help and hope today’s sentence brings them a sense of closure to all this.

“The sentence is also due to the hard work and dedication of our highly skilled officers who work in the Local Crime Group in Watford bringing Bennett to justice. Today’s result shows how seriously we take offences of this kind and that offenders will be dealt with robustly.”

She added: “Leslie Bennett is a serial abuser who preyed on children and young teenagers. Due to the prolific nature of these offences, we believe there may be other victims out there.

“Whether they are in the UK or Spain, we would strongly encourage them to come forward. They and their families will be given support and help every step of the way.”

Anyone with information should telephone DC Goodson on 0845 3300222. Alternatively, telephone Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.