DISGRACED former leader of Worcestershire County Council George Lord has died.

The 85-year-old ex-leader, who represented Alvechurch, was jailed for four years for indecent assaults on an underage girl and a sex attack on a vulnerable young woman.

After serving on the council for 13 years he resigned in November 2010 after shock allegations were made about his inappropriate behaviour towards several female members of staff.

He was charged with eight indecent assaults believed to date back over a number of decades.

One historic victim then came forward to give police an account of how the pervert groomed her in the 1970s, as a girl aged just 14 and 15, while he was a church minister in Droitwich.

During the court case in 2012, Lord admitted three historic indecent assaults on a child but pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the council employee, forcing her to give evidence behind an anonymous screen.

Following his conviction, as he was taken down to the cells he issued a bizarre and belated apology for his sexual assaults through a solicitor.

Diljit Bachada, who stood beside barrister Brett Wilson, read Lord’s statement outside the court.

It read: "I would like to apologise for any anxiety felt by either of the victims in this case and feel that it was appropriate to resign as leader of Worcestershire County Council in order to preserve the good reputation of the council."

The council launched an independent review following reports that the father of the 19-year-old victim believed the council had "failed" his daughter in its handling of her complaint.

An independent review into the young woman’s complaint ruled the council handled the complaint "appropriately" but communication with the victim was poor.

The inquiry also ruled the council provided significant and ongoing support to the employee through counselling and personal support.

A Worcestershire County Council spokesman, said: "We have been informed that the former leader of the council George Lord has died.

"He recently passed away. Our thoughts are with his family and those affected by this news."

He was leader from 2001 to 2010 and a county councillor for Alvechurch from 1997 to 2001. 

After he resigned as county council leader in November 2010 he put his old house in Belle Vue Close, Marlbrook, Bromsgrove, up for sale and left Worcestershire, only returning for the case at Birmingham Crown Court.