A paedophile repeatedly raped a brother and sister from the age of three years old.

Michael McNeill was convicted of the sexual abuse that took place during the 1980s over an eight-year period.

The 56-year-old first raped the girl when she was three in 1982, the High Court in Glasgow heard on Thursday.

McNeill, of Belville Street, Greenock, began abusing the boy the previous year when his victim was also aged three.

Lord Boyd sentenced the sex offender to 14 years in jail for the catalogue of abuse, which continued until 1989.

The judge told McNeill: "You have been found guilty of abusing these two young children. You raped the girl when she was just three and abused the boy.

"You regarded them as sexual playthings. They have had trouble with drugs and we will never know how much of that is down to your behaviour toward them. You continue to insist you are innocent and you show no remorse."

McNeill was placed on the sex offenders register on Thursday after he was convicted of raping the girl, who is now 33, on various occasions between 1982 and 1989. McNeill was also convicted of sexual abusing her and making sexual remarks towards her between May 1982 and December 1989.

The former shipyard worker was found guilty of sodomising her and sexually abusing her brother on various occasions between November 1981 and March 1989.

In evidence, McNeill's victims told how their lives had been destroyed by the abuse.