Police today welcomed a four-year prison sentence given to a paedophile after he was convicted of indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl he abducted from her North Yorkshire home.

Arthur Jenkinson, 61, of Woodlands Street, Cowling, near Keighley, had already admitted taking the youngster last November and travelling by taxi and train to Exeter in Devon.

Their disappearance sparked a nationwide manhunt by police but fortunately a train driver reported seeing them sheltering at a railway station near Exeter the next morning.

During a five-day trial at Bradford Crown Court the jury heard Jenkinson, who had no previous convictions, had developed an "unhealthy obsession" with the girl and even claimed to have been married to her.

During the police search they recovered letters and notes from Jenkinson's home in which he referred to the girl as "his sweet wife" and photographs of them standing on church steps.

Speaking after the trial, Detective Inspector Mick Moore of Harrogate CID, who led the investigation, said he agreed with the judge who described Jenkinson as a danger to children. "Throughout the inquiry, Jenkinson was of very little assistance to us," he said. "It appeared to the investigating officers he was telling a pack of lies and this would appear to reflect in the jury finding him guilty of all charges."

He added that he hoped the victim and her family could now rebuild their lives.

The prosecution alleged Jenkinson had groomed the youngster in classic paedophile style and the five indecent assault charges related to incidents when he had kissed her on the lips.

The prosecution stated the kisses were sexual rather than shows of affection.

The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all the indecent assault charges.

Passing sentence Judge Gavin Barr-Young said: "Unless one has experienced what those parents went through it must be difficult to imagine what it was truly like."

Judge Barr-Young said anybody who heard the evidence or read Jenkinson's writings would have had grave concerns about his attitude and intentions towards the girl.

"I have no doubts at all that you present a serious risk to young female children,'' he added.

In addition to the four-year jail sentence, Judge Barr-Young ordered Jenkinson should be subject to an extended period of four years on licence following his release from prison.

He will also have to register as a sex offender with the police for ten years after his release.

l A version of this story appeared in some editions of yesterday's T&A.