A 58-year-old man been jailed for three years after indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl.

Keith Blood, of Ashdene Road, Withington was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' register for life and is banned from having unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16.

Blood committed the offence in September, 1999.

The girl was too scared to tell her parents or the police what had happened, although she did later confide in her friends.

She finally told her mother what had happened in June, 2006, seven years after the assault took place. She then contacted the police.

Detective Constable Jackie Kerr of Grey Mare Lane CID said: "At the time, Blood's victim was just eight-years-old and what he did has considerably affected her life.

"I hope the sentence he has been given shows we will do all we can to ensure the people who commit these despicable crimes are brought before the courts and dealt with appropriately.

"This is the final chapter for the family and they can now put this traumatic experience behind them and move on with their lives."