A retired doctor was jailed for nine years today for sexually assaulting a young girl when she was seven or eight years.

Ahmed Masood, 71, of Lampards Close, Allerton, was a well respected GP and hospital doctor in Bradford before his recent retirement.

But a jury heard how he subjected a young girl to a series of sexual assaults between 1982 and 1985 which a judge said would have been classified as rapes if they had happened today.

After Masood was led away to prison, his victim said she just wanted him to apologise for what he has done and urged other victims of sexual abuse not to wait 30 years before reporting their experiences.

Masood was convicted of six counts of indecent assault by a jury at Bradford Crown Court last month. Today, at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Christopher Batty sent him to jail for nine years.

The judge told him he would have been looking at a 15 year sentence if the offences had taken place under current legislation.

Judge Batty said Masood had a reputation for being a doctor with great "care and skill" and said to him: "Many, many people cannot believe that you are sat where you are today, not least your wife and your son and his family."

But, he said, the victim had suffered 30 years of trauma and added: "I don't think it's any exaggeration to say her life's been ruined."