A Wirral man who repeatedly raped a girl beginning when she was just three years old and also sexually abused another was today jailed for 18 years.

A judge told Neil Cripps that he "did not have any moral compass to keep his hands off children."

Cripps, 42, had denied the allegations but a Liverpool Crown Court jury convicted him of a total of five rape offences, five attempted rapes - all specimen offences - and nine indecent assault offences.

Judge Nigel Gilmour QC told Cripps said it was no exaggeration to say that he had "sexually corrupted" his victims.

He said victim impact reports show that the effects on the victims was "serious and long lasting."

The judge ordered Cripps, of Pasture Crescent, Moreton, to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life, disqualified him from working with children and made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

As he was led to the cells a man in the public gallery shouted at him, "Enjoy K wing you animal."

During the trial Peter Davies, prosecuting, told the jury that Cripps repeatedly raped the older girl and attempted to rape the younger child.

The offences only came to light last year and Cripps was arrested.

Gerald Jones, defending, said Cripps had never committed sexual offences before and there had been no repeat of it during the last eight years.

He had drink and drug problems but has successfully reduced both in recent years and was currently on a very low dose of methadone.

Mr Jones agreed that a probation report shows Cripps presents a high risk of sexually abusing children.