A gun-wielding paedophile who fantasised in his diaries about the Soham murders and Belgian serial child-killer Marc Dutroux sexually attacked a young girl and molested another within a day of each other.

Christopher Iskander, 26, from Isleworth, used a ladder labelled Stairway to Heaven' and was carrying a sawn-off shotgun marked Serial Killer' when he climbed into the bedroom of a nine-year-old, produced a knife and subjected her to appalling sexual abuse only just stopping short of rape.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was so traumatised that she got up for school as normal the next day and did not tell her mother about the attack until hours later, prosecutor Simon Carr told Isleworth Crown Court.

Less than 24 hours after that vile attack, Iskander grabbed an 11-year-old girl as she walked home from school and dragged her into his house where he molested her at gunpoint.

Police officers en route to speak to the nine-year-old victim heard screams coming from Iskander's house and immediately burst in to arrest the pervert and rescue the 11-year-old who was in an "extremely distressed" state.

Scenes of crime officers moved in that afternoon as the case was investigated by Hounslow's Sapphire Unit.

Officers later found the sawn-off shotgun and ladder in the house and uncovered Iskander's sinister and sick diaries.

These showed that he had planned the attacks and stalked the two girls for at least 18 months, recording their every move, Mr Carr said.

"He goes on to compare himself with others convicted of high-profile similar crimes," Mr Carr added. "He fantasises about the Soham murders of Jessica and Holly and having sex with them in their Manchester United shirts which we all know about. He also fantasises about the Belgian paedophile, Marc Dutroux."

Depraved Iskander pleaded guilty to charges of trespass with intent to rape, oral rape, attempted rape (all concerning the nine-year-old girl), two charges of having a sawn-off-shotgun with intent to rape the nine-year-old and sexually assault an 11-year-old girl, and one of kidnapping the 11-year-old - all on September 13 and 14 last year.

He was given a life sentence for public protection, of which he must serve at least six years before consideration of parole. He will remain on licence and on the sex offenders' register for life.

Describing the offences which must have left the children "bewildered, scared and frightened", Judge Sam Katkhuda described Iskander, who was previously jailed for a violent hammer attack, as a danger to the public.

"You are at risk of causing serious injury or even death because you have already been convicted of a serious assault when the court was very lenient with you," the judge said.

After the case, which was attended by the families of the victims, Detective Inspector Andrew Rose said: "This was a vile case. It was perpetrated for his own sexual gratification with no consideration for the effect it would have on other people's lives - the victims, their families and friends.

"It was a case you find very difficult to compare with anything else. It was almost unbelievable - surreal."

Detective Sergeant Martin Cole, of Hounslow's Sapphire Team, said: "We are very pleased that Iskandar will remain in custody until he is no longer considered a danger.

"These attacks were cold and calculating, impacting on the victims and their families to such an extent it will take a great strength for them to recover.

"I only hope that these children are now able to recover and enjoy their childhoods."