A PENSIONER has been jailed for raping an 11-year-old girl who he had abused since she was aged just four.

Kenneth Jackson told his young victim that he was driving her to Warrington town centre to buy her a new coat.

Instead, the 82-year-old drove her to a house in Irlam and raped her.

Today, Friday, he was jailed for 21 years at Manchester Crown Court – decades after his abuse of the girl in the 1970s.

Jackson, of Irlam, began abusing the girl when she was aged just four and continued his catalogue sexual exploitation until she was 16.

In 2017, she contacted police – leading to Jackson’s arrest and conviction, having been found guilty of rape and sexual assault.

Detective sergeant Chris Smith, of Greater Manchester Police’s public protection investigation unit, said: “Jackson began abusing this woman when she was little more than a toddler.

“He carried on committing these depraved acts for years, but the bravery she has shown is matched by her courage in coming forward to report what happened to her as a child.

“Today’s sentence shows that we are committed to pursuing justice for victims, no matter the age of the offence.”