A sex attacker who raped two young girls more than 30 years ago has appealed against his jail sentence.

Samuel Thompson started abusing the first girl when she was aged ten and continued until she was 12.

The 53-year-old abused the second girl when she aged between 11 and 13.

He was aged between 13 and 21 when he carried out the abuse, which both victims said happened regularly.

Thompson, of Darnhill Crescent, Perth, admitted four counts of sexual abuse, including two of rape, between June 1971 and August 1979, at an address in Dundee.

He was jailed for nine years at the High Court in Edinburgh in August last year.

Despite having admitted the offences, he has now appealed against the length of his sentence. The appeal is due to be heard in Edinburgh next month.

The court heard that both women, now in their 40s, had struggled with mental health issues including depression linked to the abuse.

The court was told the women, who cannot be identified, had felt a sense of shame about what happened and that it had taken until recently for them to realise the accused alone was to blame.

Judge Lord Kinclaven told Thompson: "You have now accepted responsibility for four serious sexual offences which took place between 32 and 40 years ago but they are very serious offences against two young girls who were pre-teen at the time.

“The court is required to mark the seriousness of the offending and there is no alternative to a significant custodial sentence."

Defence solicitor advocate Jack Brown told the court that Thompson "deeply regrets" his actions, and was a low risk of re-offending.

IN DETAIL

• Sex attacker who raped two young girls is jailed