A 19-year-old girl was indecently assaulted on the bus and left terrified as she travelled to college.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard the victim was so scared she contacted a male friend to meet her at Blackburn bus station and escort her to college.

Mesah Nengola, 43, of Eastham Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a female.

He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, with a two-year requirement to attend the sex offenders' programme.

Deputy District Judge Peter Hayes said Nengola had placed the young lady in an “awful position.”

“You were on police bail while they investigated a similar allegations and you breached the bail conditions,” he said.

“The fact you had been drinking doesn’t give you an excuse.”

Nicola Mills, prosecuting, said the victim had boarded the bus in Rishton on her way to college on April 18.

She noticed the defendant staring at her and then he tried to engage her in conversation.

“He smelled of alcohol and she formed the opinion he was intoxicated,” said Miss Mills.

“She answered him politely but tried not to engage fully with him.”

Miss Mills said as the bus pulled into the depot in Blackburn he stumbled and touched her leg. He then started to stroke the inside of her thigh.

“She contacted a male friend and stayed on the bus until he arrived because she didn’t feel safe," the prosecutor added.

In a victim personal statement, the student said she didn’t feel safe getting on the bus on her own any more.

Bill Rawstron, mitigating, said his client’s offending behaviour seemed to stem from drink.

He said a marital breakdown had caused his client stress and he started drinking eight to 10 cans of beer a day and he had no money left to eat.

“None of this explains his behaviour on the day,” said Mr Rawstron.

“He seems to have some really challenging issues which needs to be addressed.”