A primary school bus driver who sexually assaulted two vulnerable children has been jailed for three years and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

David Lipscombe, 64, targeted the young victims while he was working for a school that caters for children with severe and complex learning needs.

Lipscombe abused the two pupils - aged eight and 12-years-old - by repeatedly touching their penis over their clothing on numerous occasions between June 2015 and April 2017.

The driver groomed one child by plying him with crisps and sweets and allowed him to sit up front with him while he drove the school bus before attacking him when they were alone.

He also took the younger child to his home where he abused him “on too many occasions to quantify” by placing his hand inside the child’s underwear and fondling his genitals.

Lipscombe, from Restalrig, Edinburgh, denied the allegations but was found guilty of two sexual assault offences by a jury following a three day trial at the city’s sheriff court last month.

He was remanded in custody pending a social work report being prepared and appeared back in the dock for sentencing on Friday, January 9.

Solicitor Paul Smith, defending, said his client was a married father-of-one and had not worked since being arrested for the sex attacks three years ago. Mr Smith said Lipscombe now “accepts remorse and has shown some insight into the offending” and the social work report had deemed him a low risk of any sexual reoffending.

In sentencing, Sheriff Charles Walls said: “In December you were convicted by a jury of two charges of sexual offending against boys. The complainers were known to you through your work as a bus driver at a special needs school.

“The complainer in charge one was aged between 12 and 13 when the offences took place and you befriended him and his mother. The jury accepted his evidence that on occasions you sexually assaulted him by grabbing his penis over his clothing.

“The complainer in charge two was under the age of 13 and on various occasions you sexually assaulted him by repeatedly touching his penis over his clothing.”

The sheriff told Lipscombe “the harm caused by your actions is incalculable” and that “the ultimate impact these two offences have had on the complainers may never be known”.

Sheriff Walls said one victim has suffered “devastating” consequences with his family relationships and noted he “does not like to be touched and is distrustful of people” due to the attacks on him.

Lipscombe was jailed for three years backdated to his remand in December last year and was issued with lifelong non-harassment orders banning him from having contact with both victims.

The sheriff also placed him on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period and said his name will be forwarded to Scottish Ministers for inclusion on the list of those banned with working children and vulnerable adults in the future.

Lipscombe was found guilty of sexually assaulting a child on journeys between Glasgow and Edinburgh by repeatedly touching his penis over his clothing on various occasions between July 1, 2016 and April 15, 2017.

He was also found guilty of sexually assaulting a child by repeatedly touching his penis over his clothing and placing his hand within his lower clothing and underwear and touching his penis on journeys at his home and during journeys to the school between June 15, 2015 and April 18, 2017.