WHEELCHAIR-BOUND paedophile Richard Fitzpatrick today began a two-year jail sentence -- three months after being convicted of a string of sex attacks.

Fitzpatrick was escorted from his home by police yesterday. An original probation order imposed at Burnley Crown Court was overturned when Lancashire Evening Telegraph inquiries revealed the judge had been misinformed by the Prison Service.

In December Fitzpatrick, 49, admitted seven counts of indecent assault on a little girl which began at around the time of a works accident in 1989 which left him disabled.

But the Prison Service wrongly told judge Raymond Bennett that there were no prison facilities available for disabled prisoners.

The judge said the defendant deserved to go to prison but he couldn't send him there.

His case was referred to the Court of Appeal after the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that the Prison Service could cater for wheelchair-bound prisoners.

Originally he had been put on probation for three years, but on Monday that sentence was quashed and he was jailed by three Appeal Court judges sitting in London.

Fitzpatrick, of Nelson, was led from his home at 12.45pm, nearly an hour after he was supposed to surrender into custody at Nelson Police Station. He declined to comment.

Burnley MP Peter Pike praised the Evening Telegraph for highlighting Fitzpatrick's case.

He said "It's a good job the Lancashire Evening Telegraph focused attention on this and discovered the truth.

"Thanks to the Evening Telegraph we now have the right result."