A serial rapist conducted a campaign of humiliation and violence against three women over almost two decades.

Gerard Porteous subjected his victims to a series of crimes that a judge described as "appalling".

Porteous, 56, of Bank Street, Paisley, had denied a string of offences against the women during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

A jury unanimously found him guilty of four charges of rape, two of assault with intent to rape and further charges of indecent assault, assault and behaviour causing fear and alarm.

The offences took place between 1994 and 2012 at addresses in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, and Paisley, Renfrewshire.

Judge Michael O'Grady told Porteous: "You have been convicted of an appalling course of conduct towards three self-evidently decent women.

"You have used and abused and degraded them in the most vile and disgusting fashion. I commend them for the courage they have mustered in speaking up against you."

The judge said that in contrast he considered Porteous to be "a bully, a coward and a deeply dangerous man".

He told Porteous that because he had not been imprisoned before he required to get a background report before sentencing him, but warned him he faced a jail term of "many years".

The judge ordered that Porteous, who had been on bail throughout his trial, should be remanded in custody.

Following his conviction Porteous was placed on the sex offenders register.