Whinnett, while the chairman of South Bedfordshire Council was convicted for a string of indecent assaults against two young girls.

A jury found Albert Whinnett, 72, guilty of 19 assaults between 1991 and 1997. He was cleared of two charges of indecency with a child during the same period. Whinnett, who denied the charges, was chairman of the council in 1984, and a Conservative councillor for many years.

Mr Wicks said: "The defendant set about abusing both girls." adding "The girls say the acts were a regular fact of their lives." The barrister said that once he went to a "den" the girls had made and found pornographic magazines. Whinnett then proceed to "explained to them in detail what was contained in the pictures."

In January of 1997 the younger girl became upset and told a friend and the police were informed. The other girl had confided in a school friend, but swore her to secrecy. When Whinnet, of Englands Lane, Dunstable, was arrested by the police in April he told them: "I have not interfered with them". He maintained his denials in front of the jury. "I was shattered when these allegations were made." Asked if he had any idea why they would lie about him, he said he had not, and he was not aware of any grudge they held against him.

Among people who came to court to speak on his behalf was the former MP for the area Sir David Madel.

The Former Bedfordshire Conservative council leader Albert Whinnet was then sentenced to jailed for 18 months for indecently assaulting two girls. Judge Ronald Moss told him had he been younger and in better health the sentence would have been four or five years.