Pervert councillor jailed for five years

From the archive, first published Friday 26th Jan 2007.

A Bradford councillor found guilty of sexually abusing two schoolgirls was today jailed for a total of five years by a judge at Bradford Crown Court.

Bob Hargreaves, 62, had been convicted of eight charges of abuse including one charge of attempted rape which date back to the early 1990s.

Hargreaves was sacked by the Liberal Democrat group when he was convicted after a trial at the Crown Court last November but he refused to resign as a councillor for the Bolton and Under-cliffe ward.

The length of his sentence means that he is now automatically disqualified from serving on the Council.

Hargreaves, who lived with his common-law wife in Buttermere Road, Bolton, Bradford, has lodged an appeal against his conviction.