A former miner who subjected three girls to sexual abuse decades ago has been jailed for eight years.

William Mailer, 71, of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, raped two of his underage victims, one of whom he had plied with drink, and attempted to rape the third.

A judge told Mailer at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You were found guilty of six charges of serious sexual assault, including three charges of rape."

Lord Glennie told Mailer, who was also a former HGV driver and milkman: "These offences happened nearly 40 years ago."

But the judge said it was clear from victim impact statements provided to him that Mailer's actions had been seriously damaging. He said: "They still show the scars even today."

The judge told Mailer he would be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.