Ralph Clarke (pictured following his arrest) is believed to be the oldest person ever to be jailed in Britain

A 101-year-old paedophile who sexually abused children as young as four in his garden shed will be allowed to play carpet bowls and dominoes after he was jailed in a cushy elderly-friendly unit.

Great-grandfather Ralph Clarke, who is believed to be the oldest criminal to be jailed in British legal history. is almost certain to die behind bars after a judge handed him a 13-year term for the child sex attacks spanning nearly a decade.

The former lorry driver committed a catalogue of vile assaults against a boy and two young girls between 1974 and 1983.

The attacks took place in the pensioner's 'man cave' workshop and in the cab of his truck.

But it has now emerged that the pensioner will enjoy a relatively relaxing life behind bars as he begins his sentence at HMP Hewell, near Redditch in Worcestershire.

The Sun reports that the convicted paedophile will not be locked up during his stay at the category B prison, which houses an elderly-friendly unit. and has access to a farm.

Clarke - who was born in March 1915 - showed no reaction as the jury delivered the 21 guilty verdicts last week.

The pensioner, who was in his late 20s when he served in the RAF during World War Two, sat back in his chair and leaned on his white walking stick as he listened.

Yesterday, Judge Richard Bond told him: 'You present as a fragile old man; however, what was plain to see was that, despite your guilty pleas, you have no remorse whatsoever.'

Mr Bond told the pensioner his offending against three vulnerable youngsters, one as young as four, had been 'repeated and sustained' over many years.

He said the children had been 'powerless' to stop the former RAF serviceman, who would threaten and beat those who defied his word.

Mr Bond told him: 'One of your victims remembers you as a nasty man, free with your fists, and he would get belted by you.'

Clarke would also try to 'bribe' his other young victims after abusing them, with sweet money of '10p or 20p'.

As frail Clarke was led out with the help of an intermediary, two dock officers and his walking stick, he was heard asking how long he had been jailed for before being taken down.

Praising the victims for coming forward and giving evidence, he contrasted the emotional and psychological damage the offences had done to them with Clarke, who, he said, had been 'able to lead your life without being punished for your dreadful acts'.

Throughout the sentencing on Monday, Clarke shook his head and said 'No, no, no'.

His victims finally contacted police in August last year having seen Facebook posts celebrating Clarke's 100th birthday.

The three victims wept as the verdicts were delivered and hugged each other in Birmingham Crown Court.

ELDERLY PEOPLE IN BRITAIN'S PRISONS The prison population is ageing and people over 60 are the fastest growing age group in custody The majority of the older prisoners, particularly those over 60, suffer chronic illness or disability. It is believed that older inmates cost the tax payer three times as much as their younger counterparts. Of the £9.4m estimated cost of the Care Act for prisoners, only £2m is for prisoners below 50. Norwich prison has Britain’s only elderly ward, and it mainly accommodates lifers. Source: The Prison Reform Trust Advertisement

Clarke, of Erdington, Birmingham, admitted nine sex offences against a boy, who he abused between the ages of nine and 14, halfway through his two-week trial.

One victim of Clarke said he deserves to die behind bars and 'rot in hell' for his crimes.

As Clarke was spending his first hours in custody following his convictions, all three of his victims, now aged in their 40s and 50s, expressed relief that he had finally been brought to justice.

Speaking anonymously, the older of Clarke's two female victims said: 'He has damaged so many lives in such a massive way and he has no remorse.

'He's evil and he deserves to be in prison - he deserves to die in prison, he deserves to rot in hell for what he put me through, let alone the others. I think we can all say that.'

She added: 'We will never get full closure - it's something we have always got to live with - but it was a huge step towards some closure.'

The younger of the female victims said: 'You are never ever going to feel like you have got justice when you have been abused, I don't think.

'It makes me angry that he knew right from the beginning we were telling the truth. The guy can't even say sorry and it makes me so angry that he has got no remorse, no regret.'

A jury of six men and six women took just under eight hours to return unanimous guilty verdicts on 21 sexual offences against two young girls.

He was cleared of one charge of indecency with a child.

The verdict means he has become the oldest convict in Britain, replacing 96-year-old paedophile Gaston Pinsard.

Pinsard, from Guernsey, was jailed for 18 months for the historic sexual abuse of two young girls more than 50 years ago.

Ralph Clarke was photographed arriving at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (pictured left before he was convicted). Clarke (right, at the beginning of the case) was found guilty of 21 historical child sex offences

Clarke, who walks with the aid of a white stick, was given special permission to sit outside the dock at the back of the court during the trial.

The retired lorry driver listened to proceedings through his hearing aid and had an intermediary sitting next to him for support.

Judge Bond told the jury he was 'speaking slowly' for the benefit of the OAP and had reduced sitting hours of between 9.30am and 1.30pm to allow Clarke to go home.

The court heard Clarke indecently assaulted the three victims in his lorry cab and his 'man cave' shed between 1974 and 1983.

Prosecutor Miranda Moore QC told the jury he also abused the children, who are siblings, in the bath and in a bed.

He bribed the young girls with sweets and money and would even take his false teeth out before committing sex acts on the boy.

Clarke was arrested after his two female victims walked into a police station in August last year to make a complaint against the centurion.

Miss Moore told the jury they were 'tipped over the edge' when he turned 100 in March 2015 and 'everybody was saying what a good life he had led'.

The court heard Clarke abused one of the girls from the age of seven and would force both female victims to perform sex acts on him.

Miss Moore said: '(The victim) said it was a daily event. The defendant was very handy, he could mend things.

'He had one of those workshops, probably today it would be called a man shed or man cave. All three victims talk about being in a garden shed or a workshop.

'(The victim) remembers sitting on the bench, she remembers that the abuse happening in the shed was in the summer.

'When he did these things he was a young and strong man and they were children.'

His three victims wept as the verdicts were delivered and hugged each other in Birmingham Crown Court (pictured)

Clarke was found guilty of 12 charges of indecent assault and nine counts of indecency with a child relating the two young girls.

He also denied five charges of indecent assault, two counts of indecency with a child and two charges of attempting to commit buggery.

But he changed his pleas to guilty to all nine counts, which all refer to the male victim.

Miss Moore told the jury: 'He (the boy victim) was also abused in the garage workshop. There was masturbation and oral sex.

'He vividly remembers that the defendant would take his teeth out beforehand.'

Giving evidence, Clarke told the jury the offences against the boy were 'something that happened'.

But he claimed there wasn't enough room in his makeshift workshop for anything to have happened between him and the two girls.

Clarke said: 'What room was in there, I needed. I had always got a pile of kids around the garage because I used to repair all the bikes for them. They'd come from all over.

'All the children used to know me as Nobby.'

An NSPCC spokesman said: 'Clarke not only inflicted appalling abuse on his victims, he put them through the harrowing ordeal of a crown court trial – and did not show a shred of remorse throughout.

'This case sends out a clear message that it is never too late for survivors of abuse to speak out. The trial could not have happened without their courage, and it is vital they now get the support they need to help them move forward with their lives.

'Anyone who has suffered abuse – no matter how long ago – can call the NSPCC helpline in confidence 24/7 on 0808 800 5000, text 88858 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.'