We are pleased to see that judges in Oxford are taking no notice of the Government's plea to keep criminals out of jail.

Home Secretary John Reid and his colleagues cited prison overcrowding as the reason for the appeal.

They urged that only the most violent or dangerous criminals should be given custodial sentences, and that bail should be given to all but the most serious crime suspects.

One criminal who deserves to be in jail is 27-year-old John Cassidy.

It would have been a scandal if he had been given a soft sentence.

He embarked on a five-day spree sexually assaulting and exposing himself to lone women in secluded places across Oxford.

With six previous convictions for similar attacks, he is clearly a serial sex attacker and a danger to women.

Oxford Crown Court heard the usual lame statements from the defence - that Cassidy had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, and that he deserved a community rehabilitation course rather than jail.

No, he deserves to be in prison.

With him out of the way for at least three years and, we hope longer, women in Oxford can now hopefully enjoy trouble-free walks and cycle rides through the city.