A DETECTIVE has said how the "Savile effect" is encour-aging victims to report sex attacks to police after a former Radio Clyde presenter was jailed for 22 years.

Ex-BBC Norfolk and Clyde broadcaster Michael Souter was found guilty of 26 offen-ces including indecent assault, indecency with a child, serious sexual offences, and possess-ing indecent images of children.

He abused seven boys in the 1980s and 1990s in what officers said was "one of the worst cases of prolonged child abuse" they had dealt with. Police believe there may be more victims and are invest-igating further claims.

Speaking outside court, Detective Insp-ector Paul Brown, from Norfolk Police, said that in the two weeks since his conviction more possible victims had come forward.

Referring to Jimmy Savile, he said revela-tions following the disgraced DJ's death had had a positive influence by encourag-ing victims of child abuse to speak out.

He added: "While I wouldn't compare Souter and Savile directly, both used their celebrity to cultivate a respectable image and both cases have served to highlight that social attitudes are changing and child abuse will be investigated rigorously by police.

"We have seen an increase in people coming forward and hopefully convictions like this can continue to give people the confidence to do so."

Norwich Crown Court heard that Souter, 60, of, Loddon, Norfolk, was a "sexual deviant", obsessed with young boys in shorts and uniform.

Judge Mark Lucraft QC said there were others not covered by the counts in this trial who were also abused by Souter.

He described Souter's attempts to claim that the allegations were fabricated as "pathetic".

He added: "You took hundreds of photo-graphs of boys in shorts and were the only person in this court who could not see these pictures for what they were."

Souter will be banned indefinitely from working with children.

He was also ordered to pay legal costs of £14,694 and may be forced to sell properties in the UK and abroad to pay this, the court heard.