A paedophile who helped run an amateur dramatics group has failed in an Appeal Court bid to clear his name.

High Wycombe man Michael Nicholls, 73, was "responsible for organising productions" at the Fourways drama group.

But, after it emerged that he had preyed on two underage boys during the 1980s, he was locked up for eight years at Aylesbury Crown Court in January.

Nicholls, of Desborough House, Amersham Hill, was convicted of indecent assault and indecency counts, and possessing indecent photographs of a child.

At London's Appeal Court today, he asked Lord Justice Hamblen to overturn his convictions, claiming he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

The court heard Nicholls had "appeared to be kind and caring" and gave one of the victims "lots of sweets" - but it was all part of a grooming process.

He made one of the victims "wear a dress" whilst he was being abused.

His lawyers claimed his trial was unfair because the indecent images count and the abuse charges should have been tried separately.

Putting all the charges on the same indictment, and trying them together, created a danger that jurors would be prejudiced against him, they argued.

But Lord Justice Hamblen threw out his challenge, ruling there was nothing unfair about the trial process.

Jurors would probably have been told about the indecent images in any event, in the form of "bad character evidence" against Nicholls, he said.

"We consider that the judge was justified in refusing to sever the indictment and this appeal is dismissed," Lord Justice Hamblen concluded.