A FORMER fire officer from Radcliffe, convicted of a string of sex attacks on lone women, has begun a life sentence.

George Heyes was responsible for a series of terrifying sex attacks on young women during an 18 months reign of terror between 1996-1997.

In March, Heyes, a former acting Divisional Officer with Greater Manchester Fire Service, was found guilty of one rape and two indecent assaults.

The 44-year-old, of Bamburgh Close, Radcliffe, had already admitted one rape and indecent assault after DNA evidence showed the chances of anyone else having committed the attacks were a "billion to one".

Today, sentencing the former fireman to life, Mr Justice Penry-Davey told Preston Crown Court: "Over a period of 18 months from mid 1996 onwards you planned and carried out an appalling series of callous, violent and terrifying sexual attacks on lone women at night."

Sentencing Heyes, the judge referred to psychiatric reports which concluded that Heyes was "at high risk of further, similar offending".

Today the court was told that Heyes would be eligible to make an application for parole within six years and five months at the earliest.

Just minutes after his conviction, following a trial at Manchester Crown Court, judge Mr Justice Penry-Davey warned Heyes he faced the possibility of life behind bars.

The judge deferred sentencing to today, at Preston Crown Court, to allow psychiatric reports to be prepared.

The jury had heard that Heyes was responsible for an 18 month reign of terror in 1996 and 1997, during which he would approach lone girls, grab them from behind on the pretext of robbery and then commit the sex attacks.

Vital DNA evidence which helped catch the rapist, was only obtained after a courageous Bolton TV soap director, Joanne Nelson, chased after Heyes after he had indecently exposed himself to her as she walked round Entwistle Reservoir in December 1999.

Heyes was arrested and a mouth swab taken which linked him by genetic fingerprinting to the sex attacks which he later pleaded guilty to. The former fire officer was later sacked from his high-ranking post after he was convicted of indecent exposure, following a two day trial at Blackburn magistrates.

Following his conviction, 13 weeks ago, Miss Nelson, who works as an assistant director for Brookside, said: "I'm lucky he didn't attack me. I feel sick to the stomach thinking about it."