An Oxfordshire man who subjected two young girls to "insidious and repeated" sexual abuse today lost an appeal for a cut in his prison sentence.

In attacks that took place some years ago, Russell Prior, 45, of Manor Farm Cottages, in Clare, near Watlington, raped and sexually assaulted one girl when she was aged between 11 and 16. He also molested another girl of a similar age.

Prior was convicted at Oxford Crown Court in March of one charge of rape and 17 of indecent assault. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Prior appealed against his sentence on the grounds that none of the indecent assaults were penetrative and because his health was poor.

He also argued that the fact that he was warned in 1997 that he could be prosecuted, but had to wait 10 years until that happened, should be taken into account.

However, Mr Justice Underhill, sitting with Lord Justice Gage and Sir Richard Curtis, noted the "insidious and repeated" nature of the abuse and, dismissing the appeal, concluded the sentence was not manifestly excessive.