Detectives have made a final plea to potential victims of a predatory paedophile to contact them.

Grandfather and self-styled community leader Abdul Razaq, 57, of Greenfield Street, Skipton , was jailed for eight years at Bradford Crown Court last week for sexually abusing two children up to 40 years ago.

Razaq “systematically and deliberately” obtained the trust and friendship of a six-year-old boy to persistently abuse him over two years in the mid-1970s.

He selected a ten-year-old girl as his second victim nearly 20 years later.

Police praised the “immense courage” of the two victims in giving evidence which led to Razaq’s conviction.

Yesterday, Detective Constable Alison Whitwell, of Skipton CID, who led the investigation, said there had been a suspicion that there might have been other victims of Razaq, but no one had come forward.

“The big reason why the two complainants in the case came forward was for other potential victims,” said Det Con Whitwell.

“If there are other victims and they have found the strength, from reading about the case, to come forward, we would investigate with the same tenacity.”

Det Con Whitwell said police did extensive work during the investigation within the community, including with victims groups and mosques, but there are no further lines of inquiry unless anyone else were to contact them.

She added: “Coming forward with that kind of allegation falls upon the victims and their families, but justice can be served and the message is that victims will be supported and can carry on living happily within their communities without a backlash.

“The victims in this case were very brave to do what they did, but it has made their lives better.”

Det Con Whitwell reassured the local Muslim community that the offences were confined to the one defendant.

“We have done a lot of work within the community and I am satisfied that this sort of behaviour is not endemic.

“Outside of this case there is not an issue over this within the community,” she said.