A FORMER housemaster jailed for sexually abusing two pupils of a North Yorkshire school has won the first stage of his bid to overturn his convictions.

Anver Daud Sheikh, 53, now of Leicester, is currently serving eight years for two offences of indecent assault and two serious sexual offences, all against boys.

The Court of Appeal granted him leave to appeal after his barrister claimed that new statements undermined the jury's guilty verdicts given at York Crown Court last year.

The date for the appeal has yet to be set.

Updated: 10:46 Tuesday, July 15, 2003