A FORMER music teacher has been jailed for indecently assaulting three young boys while he was supposed to be giving them private tuition.

Neil Turner, 63, met his victims while he was head of music and a maths teacher at Shoreham College between 1986 and 1999.

He took them to his flat for private music tuition where he took advantage of his position and assaulted them.

Turner, of Pevensey Gardens, Worthing, admitted indecent assaults: on four occasions on a boy then aged between 17 and 18 between 1991 and 1992; on two occasions on a boy aged 12 between 1998 and 1999. and on five occasions on a boy aged between 13 and 15 between 1992 and 1995.

He will be a registered sex offender for life.

Turner was sentenced to a total of two-and-a-half-years imprisonment when he appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday.

Detective Constable Matt Moores, of Sussex Police, said: "This case is a further example of the way in which we will always take such reports seriously, no matter how long go were the events, and will seek to investigate and wherever possible to achieve justice and some closure for victims."

A Sussex Police spokesman emphasised the offence took place between 18 and 25 years ago and that there are no safeguarding issues for Shoreham College in relation to this case.