A FORMER Birkenhead boys club leader was jailed for more than 12 years yesterday for seriously sexually abusing three boys.

George Welsh had been due to face the allegations six years ago, but on the first day of his proposed trial he fled to Spain.

But ill health forced him to return in March this year and, when he landed at Manchester Airport, police were waiting and he was re-arrested.

Welsh, 64, of Saxonia Road, Walton, denied a total of 29 offences involving four boys but was convicted after a trial of 22 involving three victims.

Judge John Phipps jailed him for 12 years for six offences of buggery and 16 indecent assaults and also imposed four months consecutively for breaching his bail.

He also ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and banned him from working with children indefinitely.

Simon Christie, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Welsh had been a youth leader at the Shaftesbury Boys Club, in Tranmere, and in the late 1980s befriended vulnerable boys at the club.

He bought them sweets and other treats, and also took them to his caravan in Rhyl, in North Wales. He sexually abused two of them when they were aged between 12 and 16, both on Merseyside and at the caravan.

They did not tell anyone in authority, though did tell friends, but in about 2000 they decided to tell police about their ordeals.

By pure chance, North Wales police were currently investigating complaints by a boy who told how Welsh had molested him in 1999.

By that time, Welsh had retired and moved to his caravan in Rhyl and the offences took place there, said Mr Christie.

Welsh was arrested and was due to face trial in April, 2002, but fled to Spain, he added.

Philip Hall, defending, said that Welsh, who told the jury that the allegations were untrue, has no previous convictions and was in poor health.