DETECTIVES have said that TV weatherman Fred Talbot has received the "punishment he deserved" after he was jailed for five years for sex attacks on two schoolboys when he was a teacher.

Edinburgh-born Talbot, a regular on the floating weather map in Liverpool's Albert Dock for ITV's top rating This Morning show, was convicted in February of indecent assaults on pupils from Altrincham Grammar School.

The Crown Office in Scotland is now examining a file handed to them by police in England containing details of alleged offences committed by Talbot north of the border, which is said to relate to events over a 13-year period, from 1968 to 1981.

The 65-year-old, who was cleared of assaulting three other boys, was jailed yesterday by Judge Timothy Mort at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

During his trial he was described as a "chancer" who used his "boundless energy" and "extrovert personality" to gain the affection and trust of his victims.

The jury heard that Talbot was "obsessed" with teenage boys throughout his teaching career and "could not help himself" around them when under the influence of drink.

Among the prosecution witnesses at the trial were The Stone Roses' singer Ian Brown, a former pupil of Talbot's, who spoke about his inappropriate behaviour in the classroom.

Prosecutors said Talbot's modus operandi was to first establish his "good guy credentials" and then to break down the proper teacher-pupil boundaries, leaving his victims confused as he made his advances.

Both of Talbot's victims were assaulted on school canal barge trips in the Cheshire area in the mid 1970s.

The first victim, who thought he was 14 at the time, said the teacher abused him after a mock naked orgy involving up to 10 boys and Talbot.

Talbot told him to share a bed with him as there were not enough bunk beds to go round and performed a sex act on him.

It emerged that he had previously reported the weatherman to police on four separate occasions dating back to 1992 but no action had been taken.

The second victim, who also thought he may have been aged 14 at the time, was abused on another barge trip in similar circumstances.

He said that boys would take turns to sleep in Talbot's bed during the trip and when it was his turn the defendant struck up a "sexual" conversation before indecently assaulting him.

Talbot, who sat in the dock wearing glasses and a purple jumper over a shirt and grey trousers, showed no emotion as he was jailed.

Outside the court, Detective Chief Inspector Graham Brock, of Greater Manchester Police, said Talbot "orchestrated" the situations with the boys to "satisfy his own sexual urges".

He said: "Fred Talbot is a likeable man, however there is a devious element to him.

"He clearly orchestrated these situations to satisfy his own sexual urges and put himself in these positions with these young boys."

The detective added: "On behalf of the two victims, I am sure they will be delighted they have received just reward and be happy with this verdict.

"At long last Fred has received the punishment he deserves."

Mr Brock added in a statement: "You can imagine the excitement of a teenage boy setting off on a canal trip with friends and a teacher, who he should expect to look after him, only to return with his childhood destroyed.

"Put simply, these offences reflect an abhorrent abuse of trust by a man who has proven to have no regard for the innocence of youth he was employed to nurture."

A statement from the Crown Office said: "The procurator fiscal has received a report relating to incidents involving a 65-year-old man, said to have occurred between January 1968 and January 1981.

"The report is currently under consideration by the procurator fiscal."