A PARK sex fiend who terrorised his young victim in a bid to get her to drop the charges against him has been jailed for four years.

And Rizwan Sarwar also assaulted two other girls who tried to stop him sexually assaulting and punching the terrified 15-year-old as she walked through Bullough Park, Accrington.

Today police said Sarwar was a threat to the community and that the community would be safer now he was behind bars.

Sarwar, 29, of Willows Lane pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court and was sentenced to three years in jail for having sexual activity with a female under the age of 16, sexual assault and common assault.

He was ordered to serve another 12 months concurrently for witness intimidation.

The court was told that Sarwar met the schoolgirl, and had sex with her on several occasions in the park, off Willows Lane, between July and September 2004.

He was arrested when the girl's mother contacted police but while he was on bail he approached his victim in the park and threatened and intimidated her.

Police said he sexually assaulted her and punched her in the face before the two girls, aged 13 and 14, intervened and were hit in the face with a rucksack.

After sentencing DC Susan Smith from Accrington CID said: "Sarwar's conviction will be a relief to the victims of this crime. It will also be a relief to a number of people who live in the Accrington area.

"He is a person with a propensity for violence and disorderly conduct. He is subject to Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and presents a significant threat to the community.

"The sentence reflects this."

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service added: "We're happy that the witness intimidation received an additional 12 months in the sentence. Hopefully this will encourage other women in similar cases to come forward and let us know because if they don't there's nothing we can do."