A pensioner who exposed himself to a 12-year-old girl in Blackburn Market before masturbating in full view of the public has been jailed.

Preston Crown Court heard when 71-year-old Steven Duxbury noticed the schoolgirl in the market at around 3.30pm on June 17, he was "unable to control himself".

The pervert began performing a sex act while staring at her, licking his lips, and making groaning noises.

Horrified, the girl, who was in her school uniform, told her mother, who turned and saw the defendant in the middle of his lewd act.

Prosecuting, Paul Cummings said: “She told her mum and said, ‘I feel like being sick’.

“Her mother called for security, and they arrived and detained the defendant until the police were able to attend.

“The defendant was interviewed and fully admitted what had taken place.

"He said when he saw the child in her school uniform, he began watching her and felt down his trousers and started to masturbate and described it as ‘spontaneous’.

“It’s quite clear when the child gave a statement to the police that she was affected by what had happened, as she was only 12.

“She felt extremely upset and very nervous about going to the market again and felt her trust in men had been damaged.

"She couldn’t really believe this had happened to her.”

Duxbury has previous convictions for similar offences, including the possession of indecent images of children in 2012, for which he was handed a community order, and making indecent images in 2017 whereby he was jailed for 12 months.

He was also found to be in breach of a sexual harm prevention order in 2017 when police discovered a laptop and mobile phone containing explicit images hidden in his locker at work.

The pensioner, of Mill Lane, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to exposure and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

On Thursday he was handed a three-year prison sentence with Recorder Katherine Pierpoint saying: “While looking at her she recalls you were licking your lips and making groaning noises and she felt sick.

“She alerted her mother who also witnessed your lewd behaviour.

“In interview you admitted what you had done and said you ‘lost control’. You said you felt sexually attracted to children and said you did it for your own sexual gratification.

“Her mother has said, ‘no-one should have to witness this type of behaviour in a public place, especially a 12-year-old child’.

“You have not learned your lesson and have continued to offend. It’s clear you have a sexual interest in children, you are sexually excited by children, you are not able to control your sexual desires, feelings or behaviour, and you take deliberate steps for the opportunity of sexual arousal.

“It appears therefore that you are at high risk of re-offending.

“Even though you know this is behaviour you shouldn’t embark upon, even though you have had community orders and been sent to prison in the past, even though committing this offence in an open place you still could not control yourself, in my judgement makes this an extremely serious matter.”

Duxbury was placed on the sex offenders register for life and was made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which includes a ban from entering Blackburn Market.

Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, Sazeeda Ismail said: “Duxbury subjected a 12-year-old child to his sickening behaviour for his own sexual gratification.

"The CPS is committed to bringing sex offenders to justice. I would like to thank the child and her mother for coming forward and reporting this incident.

"I hope this sentence will provide the child and her family with some sense of justice and that they can begin to put this incident behind them.”