A FORMER New Forest publican has been locked up for three years and had his licence forfeited for sex offences against under-age girls.

Peter Steven, 52, who was at The Wheel in Pennington and The Hobler in Lymington, had been convicted at an earlier hearing of sexual activity with a child and indecent assault.

The publican – described as posing a medium risk to children – was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order which bans him from contacting the victim for ten years.

A probation officer said the victim was likely to have suffered emotional and psychological harm from the abuse.

Southampton Crown Court heard Steven no longer wanted to work in the pub trade but Judge Jeremy Burford QC ordered he must forfeit the remaining seven years he had left as a licence holder. Now living in Selsey, Sussex, Steven was also placed on the sex offenders’ register.