Paedophile priest Michael Hill was today sentenced to five years in prison for his "disgraceful and disgusting" sexual abuse of young boys.

Former Sussex priest Hill, 68, was branded a "predatory paedophile" when he was jailed at the Old Bailey in London today.

Hill had earlier admitted touching and fondling three boys as young as ten between 1969 and 1989.

Sentencing him, Judge Christopher Moss said: "You used the vestments of the priesthood to disguise your true character and employed a considerable degree of planning and cunning to gain the trust of parents."

He added: "There is no greater or more appalling breach of trust than that of which you are guilty."

Hill, of Lingfield, Surrey, indecently assaulted boys living in the South East including a 13-year-old boy in a wheelchair who he met while a chaplain at Gatwick Airport.

Hill had previously been jailed by Guildford Crown Court after admitting ten counts of indecent assault against seven boys during the same period.

A ten-year-old boy was assaulted in 1969 and again as a 12-year-old in 1971. On one occasion Hill touched him while towelling him dry after a shower.

Between 1985 and 1988 he abused a 12-year-old by touching his genitals. In 1986 and 1987 he abused his final victim, who was wheelchair-bound, by touching him while he was sleeping.

Meanwhile, the leader of Britain's Roman Catholic church has denied turning a blind eye to the problem of paedophile priests while he was a bishop in Sussex.

But Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, now Archbishop of Westminster, apologised for the suffering caused at the hands of Michael Hill.

The Cardinal accepted his decision to appoint Hill to the chaplaincy at Gatwick Airport - before he was convicted of any offence, but after receiving conflicting psychiatric reports - was a mistake.

The Cardinal denied ignoring the problem of paedophile priests when he was Bishop of Arundel and Brighton and rejected claims that compensation paid to victims was "hush money".

In a letter to The Times the Cardinal writes: "Inevitably mistakes have been made in the past; but not for want of trying to take the right and best course of action."

The Cardinal said very strict guidelines adopted by the Church meant even in cases where allegations were made but no prosecution resulted, steps would be taken to remove a priest from active ministry.

He also said a review of child protection was carried out in 2000 by Lord Nolan.

A statement released by the Catholic Communications Service reads: "It is the Church's fervent hope that all who have been so deeply damaged by Michael Hill will now feel able to move forward with their lives.

"The Cardinal has made clear his deep personal regret that Michael Hill was allowed to continue in ministry, and for the consequences that followed this error of judgment."