A beggar who raped a woman after she stopped to offer help has lost an appeal against a life sentence imposed on him.

James Campbell, 32, attacked the 57-year-old victim in a lane in Glasgow city centre on August 16 last year.

Campbell, from Paisley, in Renfrewshire, who earned up to £100 a day, regularly begged in Glasgow's Buchanan Street draped in Celtic colours.

The woman noticed he was not wearing a top despite the cold and rain and asked if he was alright and chatted to him.

READ MORE: Buchanan Street beggar James Campbell given life sentence for raping woman

Campbell followed the woman and refused to go away and as his victim walked past the lane between West Nile Street and Nelson Mandela Place he demanded a kiss, before restraining and raping her.

The woman struggled with him and repeatedly told him to stop and a lawyer in a nearby office saw the incident and contacted police. Officers arrived and dragged the rapist off her.

He admitted the sex attack and judge Lady Stacey imposed an order for lifelong restriction (OLR) on him.

She ordered that he serve a minimum of three years in prison but warned there was no definite time he would be released following the "very serious and violent rape".

Lawyers acting for Campbell went to the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh to challenge the imposition of the OLR on the rapist.

Defence solicitor advocate Ann Ogg told the Lord Justice General, Lord Carloway, sitting with Lord Drummond Young and Lord 

READ MORE: James Campbell: Buchanan Street beggar raped woman who stopped to ask if he was alright

Turnbull, that it was Campbell's first conviction for a sexual offence.

She said that he had underlying drug, alcohol and mental health problems but with the right intervention he could be rehabilitated.

She said there were indications of a willingness to change.

Miss Ogg submitted that the sentencing judge had erred over the risk criteria assessment and imposition of the OLR.

Lord Carloway said the appeal would be refused as the judges considered that Lady Stacey had applied herself correctly to her task and was entitled to impose the OLR.

The senior judge said a full decision would be issued later.