A Milford Haven man who carried out a series of sex attacks on young girls has had his sentence more than doubled by top judges - the day before he was due to be released.

Michael Frederick Joseph McGuire, 63, of Greville Road, was jailed for 12 months by a judge in Swansea Crown Court in August after he was found guilty of a spate of sexual assaults on girls under 16.

But the Government's top law officer - Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC - felt the sentence was too short and referred it to the Court of Appeal today (Wednesday).

Three judges agreed and upped McGuire's prison sentence to two and half years.

Mr Justice Hooper told the court the sex attacks happened in the 1980s.

The victims, now women in the 30s and 40s, contacted police in 2008 and retired scaffolder McGuire was arrested later that year.

He denied his victims' accusations - and continues to claim he was wrongly convicted.

One of McGuire's victims said he had "destroyed her life". The other woman said she had difficulty forming relationships because of what he did to her.

Crispin Aylett, representing the Attorney General, said the maximum sentence was five years and McGuire's 12-month term was "unduly lenient".

Dyfed Thomas, representing McGuire, said the sentence was lenient, but not unduly so, considering the amount of time that had passed, and McGuire's previous good character.

He said McGuire, now a grandfather himself, was due to be released tomorrow (Thursday).

Lord Justice Hooper, sitting with Mrs Justice Rafferty and Mrs Justice Dobbs, agreed that the one-year jail term was too short.

Lord Justice Hooper said: "Taking into account the delay, and the fact that these offences had been committed many years before, and that he was a man of no previous convictions with a good working record, we take the view that the judge could have passed a sentence of at least three years.

"Taking into account double jeopardy, we think the appropriate sentence is to pass concurrent sentences of two and a half years."

The increased sentence means McGuire will have to serve at least another year.