A 76-year-old man exposed his genitals in a Burnley town centre pub, a court has been told.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard how David Nightingale had been made subject to a suspended prison sentence in February for an identical offence.

Nightingale, of Acre Avenue, Stacksteads, pleaded guilty to an offence of indecent exposure, which occurred on June 9.

He was sentenced to eight weeks for the offence and a further 20 weeks of the suspended sentence was activated.

He was made subject to sex offender registration requirements for seven years.

Susheela Regala, prosecuting, said staff at the Big Window pub in Burnley were monitoring Nightingale on CCTV because of previous incidents when he had exposed himself.

At around 7.30pm, they saw him messing about with his trousers, and they made their way downstairs and saw Nightingale unbuckle his trousers and expose his genitals.

Miss Regala said the defendant then began behaving indecently.

“There were about 10 people sat at other tables close to the defendant.”

Miss Regala said Nightingale left the pub but was followed by staff who had already contacted the police. He was arrested at Burnley bus station.

David Lawson, in mitigation, said it was a very sad case, not least because his client was approaching his later years before starting to commit the offences.

Following his last conviction, when the suspended sentence was imposed, Nightingale had successfully completed an alcohol abstinence order.

“On this occasion, he told his sister he was going out for a couple of pints but he didn’t limit himself,” said Mr Lawson.

“I saw him in the cells yesterday and told him what the police said he had done. He couldn’t remember anything.

“He was very embarrassed and ashamed and just can’t understand or fathom why he behaved in this manner,” added Mr Lawson.