A former Tory councillor who was given a suspended prison sentence for sex offences involving young girls has been ordered pay a total of £9,000 in costs.

Jim Merrick, 69, did not attend Bradford Crown Court for the hearing yesterday when Judge Stephen Gullick ordered him to pay £5,000 towards the costs of his own defence and a further £4,000 towards the prosecution's costs.

Merrick had gone on trial accused of 25 sex allegations involving 12 girls, but was cleared on all but two.

The court heard yesterday that he had £31,000 in a bank account, but his barrister Sophie Drake said a large part of that money was earmarked for necessary repair work to a mill property he owned.

She pointed out that Merrick's business was continuing to lose money due to the fact that he was still living out of the area because of fear of reprisals.

Miss Drake also argued that Merrick had already lost a considerable sum of money by having to live away from Bradford as a condition of his bail prior to the trial.

Judge Gullick said he had to take account of the fact that Merrick was only found guilty on two offences and that any trial relating to those matters would only have lasted about four days as opposed to the four weeks, which was actually spent hearing his case.

Miss Drake estimated that the defence costs for four days would have been about £5,000 while the prosecution estimate for a similar trail was put at £3,000.

Judge Gullick said he believed the prosecution estimate was on the low side and decided to make Merrick pay a further £4,000 instead.