A DAD who tried to rape two terrified teenage girls as they walked home from a Basingstoke nightclub has been jailed for seven years.

Just 10 months before, father-of-two Michael Traynor followed two other women home from the same club, Bud's Bar, and indecently assaulted one of them.

In both incidents, the jury at Winchester Crown Court heard the sex attacker had worn the same jumper pulled up over his face.

Traynor (pictured) was convicted by majority 10-2 verdicts of attempting to rape the two 16-year-old girls in September last year and of indecently assaulting a 29-year-old woman in November 2000. He had denied committing all three offences.

Jailing 24-year-old Traynor, Judge Patrick Hooton told him: "You have been convicted of carrying out attacks on young women within the space of a year. Both attacks were extremely frightening. Both attacks were extremely dangerous."

The judge also told Traynor, of no fixed address but who formerly lived at Kings Road, South Ham, that he was making an order which means if he commits any criminal offence after his release from prison, he will serve a further five-year sentence. He has also been placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The trial heard Traynor targeted the teenage girls as they walked along a path at the West Ham Leisure Park.

As he attempted to rape one, her friend came to her aid. He then turned on the second girl and, in what prosecutor Charles Gabb described as an action "that beggars belief", did exactly the same thing to her.

The first girl went to her friend's aid, trying to grab Traynor, and he ran off after he was kicked in the head. He told his girlfriend and sister that bruises and marks on his face were from a fight at Bud's Bar and a later attack by three men.

Traynor's first victim in November 2000 was indecently assaulted at the junction of St Peter's Road and Charles Street, South Ham.

After delivering the majority guilty verdicts following five hours of deliberation, the jurors heard that Traynor has previous convictions for burglary and theft.

Detective Sergeant Jim Pitts, who investigated the attacks, was pleased with the outcome of the trial.

He said: "These were vicious attacks on defenceless people walking home after a good night out. Fortunately, these stranger attacks are rare."