A FORMER Hampshire village policeman has been jailed for seven years for abusing two boys.

Judge Andrew Barnett told Gordon Hunter, 64, he was a “disgrace to the uniform”.

He added that he could spent his time in prison contemplating “the havoc, misery and distress and possible destruction of these two lives”.

Hunter showed no emotion as the sentence was passed at Winchester Crown Court this morning.

At his trial last month Hunter was convicted of 14 offences including gross indecency with a child, indecent assault and attempted buggery. He had denied all offences but was convicted by the jury.

The first victim was abused while Hunter was a constable based at Whitchurch between 1983 and 1992. Hunter later moved to Ashurst in the New Forest where he targeted another boy between 1995 and 1998. Neither victim can be named for legal reasons.

The court heard that the first victim suffered severe psychological damage and spent a number of years self-harming.

In mitigation, Stephen Parish argued that Hunter, of Dene Way, Ashurst, was not an ongoing danger to children.

Judge Barnett said: “You are a disgrace to the uniform. Both these young men trusted you as a figure of the community, somebody they felt they could rely upon.

“I realise every day in prison is going to weigh heavily on you in view of your background and lack of convictions. But the fact remains these are very serious offences. It is made worse by the gross abuse of trust. You used your position to get access to these boys. The fact of who you were dissuaded complaints and an early detection of these matters.”

The judge also passed a sex offences prevention order which bars Hunter from being in the company of any boy under 16 unless an adult apart from his wife is present. He is also disqualified from ever working with children and will remain on the sex offender’s register for life.