An anonymity order covering a paedophile who raped and sexually assaulted three children was lifted following a daily reporter’s challenge.

Robert Aistrop, 68, from Hull, was jailed this week for ten years at the city’s crown court after admitting 21 sex offences against three girls aged eight, six and four.

He had been granted anonymity at a previous hearing under Section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 but this was challenged in court by Hull Daily Mail journalist Nicky Harley.

The reporter pointed out to the court that Section 39 orders could not be used for adult defendants and argued there was no order the court could make which would give Aistrop anonymity.

The original banning order had been made at the request of both the defence and the prosecution, Media Lawyer reports.

Aistrop admitted two counts of rape, two attempted rapes, ten indecent assaults, six sexual assaults and one assault by penetration.

He was caught after the girls told their parents and the police were called.

In lifting the order, Judge David Tremberg said: “This is an application by the prosecution supported by the defence for me to take quite an exceptional course in the case of a serious sex offender, namely that the defendant shouldn’t be named in the press.

“These are public courts and the public have a genuine and proper interest in having reports of cases which take place in them.

“I’m being asked to take a wholly exceptional course that his name shouldn’t be put into the public domain and reported.

“I have heard submissions and observations from Nicky Harley of the Hull Daily Mail and I am aware the Hull Daily Mail are acutely alive to their obligations to the law and know how much to report – they do it day in, day out.”