A former Newcastle-under-Lyme mayor has been jailed for historic sex offences.

John Cooper, 80, of St Mary's Road, Wolstanton, has been jailed for two and a half years and he has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

He was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 and a further two counts of indecent assault on a woman over 16 years of age at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 9 April.

The offences happened in the 1980s and 1990s and were reported to Staffordshire Police in 2021.

Cooper was the mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme in 2008-09 and 2020-21. He was a Conservative councillor for the May Bank ward and has also served on Staffordshire County Council.

Detective Inspector Chris Wynn-Jones said: "I would like to commend the bravery of the victims for coming forward and for giving evidence at Cooper's trial. They have shown true courage and determination.

"I hope it brings some reassurance that he is now behind bars but also highlights that, no matter the length of time passed, we will always do what we can to investigate and bring these offenders to justice.

"I also hope this will encourage others who may have suffered similar experiences to come forward and report them to us."

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