Jimmy Savile's former chauffeur Ray Teret found GUILTY of sex offences against young girls

The 73-year-old, who was mentored by Savile in the early days of his career and was his chauffeur for a number of years, used his celebrity status in the Manchester club scene to prey on several of his victims in the 1960s and 1970s.

Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard that Teret – known as Ugly Ray – followed Savile around "like a shadow".

The former Radio Caroline DJ told the court that he was not interested in underage girls – despite a previous conviction for sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl in 1999, which he continues to deny.

Teret denied 18 rapes, two other serious sexual assaults, one attempted rape, 12 indecent assaults and one count of indecency with a child.

After more 60 hours of deliberations, he was convicted of seven rapes and 11 indecent assaults. He was cleared of the other charges.

Opening the case, prosecutor Tim Evans said: "The Crown say that young teenage girls, far from doing nothing for him, were consistently pursued by him through the 60s and 70s."

He continued: "The basic set-up, the background is the same - a naive girl who has the headlights of fame shone on her, who is taken to a flat and without more, without any understanding of what is going on, has a male many years older, having sex with her."

Giving evidence, Teret insisted: "I only make love. Not sex, sir. I only make love with ladies who want to make love with me."

He said that men who pounced on a girl and hoped to get away with it "want shooting" and he had never been in that situation.

Two others were on trial with Teret.

Alan Ledger, 62, also from Woodlands Road, Altrincham, was found not guilty of a serious sex assault, not guilty of two indecent assaults and not guilty of one count of indecency with a child.

William Harper, 65, of Ash Grove, Stretford - known in his DJ days as Tony Grey - was cleared of one count of attempted rape.