Mertons former mayor-elect, Sam Chaudhry, could be jailed in the new year after being convicted of a series of sexual assaults on two children one of whom may have been as young as five.

The 70-year-old ex-councillor dramatically changed his plea to guilty to four counts of indecent assault against girls under the age of 16, on the first day of his trial at Kingston Crown Court, on Monday.

The court heard about 11 incidents of Chaudhrys perversions many of which involved foot massages, progressing to touching the girls legs and breasts.

Mr Hugh Davies, prosecuting, said: Mr Chaudhry has some standing in the local community. He was due to be elected mayor of Merton he was of previously good character and yet that public office disguises a man with feet of clay in his private life.

Seven charges two involving the abuse of another female between 1968 and 1972 were ordered by the judge to lie on file.

The court was told how the ex-merchant seaman originally from New Delhi carried out much of the abuse during the periods when he returned to England.

The authorities finally caught up with him when one of the girls told a doctor that she had been abused.

Former mayor, Councillor Ian Munn, with whom Chaudhry served as his deputy in 2000/2001, told the Guardian he was stunned by his former colleagues guilt.

He said: One would never have imagined that someone like him would even have been charged with such an offence.

We met his wife on many occasions. This must have hurt her terribly.

Chaudhry who was named as Mertons first Asian mayor in February but stood down on grounds of ill health before the formal ceremony was suspended from as a councillor for Longthornton ward when the charges came to light in June.

A council spokesman confirmed Chaudhry had resigned from the council this week.

He has been remanded on conditional bail to await sentencing on January 11. For convictions of this nature a custodial sentence is normal, although exceptional circumstances, such as ill health, can be used in mitigation.