A DANGEROUS predatory sex offender who tried to lure three schoolgirls into his car has been jailed for life.

Police have praised the three girls - all aged 14 - for their quick thinking and their bravery in resisting Michael Anthony Robertshaw’s lies.

Andrew Espley, prosecuting at York Crown Court, said the convicted rapist had been intending to commit sexual offences against them.

Robertshaw had an air rifle with a knife attached and an air pistol at his home, although he was banned from having firearms and was under supervision by a public protection police officer.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC told Robertshaw: “I find you are a very dangerous man.

“You are a sexual predator, targeting and manipulating lone females. I must pass a sentence of life imprisonment.”

Robertshaw, 41, of Scarborough, denied three charges of attempted kidnap and three of attempted kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence, but was convicted of all by a jury at York Crown Court earlier this month.

He admitted two charges of having air weapons when prohibited from doing so because he had previously been sentenced to a total of 18 years for raping a woman in Durham in 1997 and indecently assaulting women in Dewsbury in 2003 and Bradford in 1994. Two similar charges which he denied were left on file.

He was jailed for life and must serve a minimum of six years and 176 days.

Each girl told the jury how he approached them in the street when they were alone very early in the morning last September or after dark last January in Scarborough.

The first one he approached twice on two streets. To the others, he masqueraded as an official responsible for seeing children behaved themselves or got home safely.

None agreed to go with him and all told their parents about him when they got home.

For Robertshaw, barrister Dr John Brown said the defendant wanted to work with probation officers to change his behaviour.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Steve Monty of North Yorkshire Police said: “After working on the investigation that brought Michael Robertshaw to justice, I’m relieved that he’s been convicted of these very serious offences.

“Robertshaw tried to present himself as a figure of trust and authority in an attempt to kidnap young girls.

“In fact, he was anything but trustworthy – he’s a devious, manipulative predator with a sexual interest in children.

“It’s even more worrying that this wasn’t just a one-off – he targeted three victims, all aged just 14.

“They didn’t know Robertshaw but fortunately they did exactly the right thing and refused to get in his vehicle.

“I’d like to credit each of those three girls for their quick-thinking, bravery and the way they helped detectives bring a serious offender to justice.

“There’s no doubt whatsoever that our communities are made safer when we take people like Robertshaw off our streets.”