A convicted rapist who subjected a frail and confused 85-year-old woman to a horrific sex attack has been branded a danger to every female in the country.

Judge Roger Scott said 38-year-old Wayne Gaskin should never be let out of prison and described him as a "continuing, untreatable danger" to females aged from ten to 110.

He told him: "Wayne Gaskin you are coming up soon to 40 years of age and I very much hope that you will spend the whole of your natural life from this point on in prison."

The judge conceded that he had no power to impose such a life sentence but that if he had, he would have exercised it.

At the time of the shocking attack last July, Gaskin, of Lower Grange Close, Bradford, was on licence from an eight-year jail term for raping and indecently assaulting two girls and yesterday Judge Scott imposed an automatic life sentence.

But he also had to state what he stressed was only the minimum term Gaskin would have to serve behind bars before his case could be considered by the Parole Board.

He set the minimum term at five years and 28 days, but said he believed that Gaskin should never be released because he was a real and continuing danger to women.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Gaskin took advantage of his victim's confused and frail state after she walked out of a rest home, apparently on her way to a dancing class.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett said the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had been diagnosed with mild dementia and although she was intelligent had also been described as confused and forgetful.

She came across Gaskin and a colleague doing some building work, and the colleague immediately realised she was lost or confused and asked Gaskin to wait with her while he tried to find out if there was a rest home nearby.

When he returned Gaskin had driven off in a van with the woman, but he returned about half-an-hour later and the workmate told him to take her to a rest home close by.

Gaskin drove her off again, but instead of taking her to the rest home he raped her in the back of the van.

The woman's son and staff from the home had been desperately trying to find her and were grateful to Gaskin for helping to return her to safety with an ambulance driver.

But, said Mrs Beckett: "Very quickly after that she described the rape to her son. She said 'you've got to understand that man raped me."

Her son didn't know what to make of the cliam, but contacted the police who arrested Gaskin back on the building site.

DNA tests later linked Gaskin to the offence, although he tried to claim she had consented, telling him she was aged 63.

Gaskin pleaded guilty in December to offences of rape and sexual assault and his barrister Fiona Dix-Dyer accepted that his guilty plea was the only real mitigation in the case.

"Obviously it is an automatic life sentence in view of his previous conviction and many, if not everybody, in court finds this case shocking.

"He took advantage of her disposition and confused circumstances."

Miss Dix-Dyer said Gaskin had told the woman he was sorry and ashamed when he realised what he had done. She said Gaskin hoped the woman and her family would get some sense of justice from the sentenced imposed on him.

Jailing Gaskin, Judge Scott said people monitoring his licence thought he was doing very well and he was also taking part in a sex offender programme.

"Events have shown that that was not worth the paper it was written on," said Judge Scott.

After sentencing Detective Inspector Gerry O'Shea, of Bradford North CID, said: "I think it has been accurately described as a sickening and shocking attack. It's almost beyond words.

"It is rare for us to see such an attack but of course that does not lessen the impact on the victim and her family who are very close to her.

"The family have told me that her condition has deteriorated rapidly since the incident.

"I think her family will see that justice has been done and hope that they will see this as being some form of closure."