SERIAL rapist Kristopher Searle is today spending his 33rd birthday behind bars.

Searle was yesterday found guilty on seven counts of rape and one count of kidnap with intent to commit a sex offence, a jury at Swindon Crown Court decided.

He was found not guilty on one further count of rape.

A pre-sentence report will be complied before sentence is passed after Easter.

Judge Douglas Field said: "I consider the judgment sufficient to consider a life sentence."

As Searle was led away from the dock by custody officers he winked and grinned in the direction of his sobbing girlfriend, sat in the public gallery.

Detective Sergeant Pete Ritson of Swindon police, said: "The attacks were extremely violent and terrified the women who were subjected to this abhorrent behaviour.

"His conviction sends out a strong message that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.

"This case also underlines our concern for all victims of sexual assault - regardless of their lifestyle.

"We take all sexual assault allegations extremely seriously and, as we have done in this case, we will work hard to identify offenders and bring them to justice.

"Together with our partner agencies we are also determined to address the reasons that women turn to prostitution and provide routes out of such a lifestyle.

"This has been a thorough investigation and the officers working on the case have worked hard over the past few months.

"I hope that this reassures the local community that we are determined to keep people safe and deliver a quality policing service people are satisfied with."

The jury arrived at its decision after just four hours of deliberating after sitting through an eight-day trial.

Searle, a former Deerhurst Way resident from Toothill, raped the three women in April and July last year.

All three have given evidence during the two-week hearing.

The similarities of the three rapes alerted the police to bring the cases together.

The court heard how Searle, now of St Georges Avenue, Newbury, picked up each woman from the Manchester Road and County Road areas of Swindon and drove them to isolated spots.

These included a track off Oxford Road, a clearing near some trees in Foxhill and a location near Coate Water.

One woman was raped in his black Vauxhall car and then held against her will overnight at his former home in West Swindon for five hours.

The two other prostitutes were driven out of town in his blue Ford Transit van and raped in the back.

He beat one girl, who lost a tooth and also suffered a swollen nose and cheek, in a secluded area near Foxhill.

Searle also forced the girls to perform oral sex on him.

Forensic evidence was key in the police investigation.

A speck of blood from one of the women was found on the inside door of the van, as was a victim's tooth and nail scissors.

Bloodstains were also discovered on the headrest of his car.

Police also said the 999 calls made by each of the victims soon after the rapes were compelling pieces of evidence in the case.