A GROUP of girls making their way home were accosted by a man carrying a black pistol in his hand.

Blackburn magistrates heard that the girls decided to walk away and ignore what the man was doing and as they did so the uncle of one of them arrived on the scene and told them to run away.

Francis John Mulholland, 37, of Gillibrand Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded airweapon in a public place and possessing cannabis.

He was put on probation for 12 months and ordered to pay £75 costs.

Emma Kehoe, prosecuting, said the girls were walking along a ginnel at about 7pm and passed Mulholland, who was walking in the opposite direction.

He shouted out and when they turned the girls saw he was holding the gun, pointing it towards the floor. He said he was not going to do anything to them but at that stage the girl's uncle, who knew Mulholland, arrived on the scene.

Stephen Parker, defending, said it had not been a malicious act and there was no question of Mulholland brandishing the weapon. Mulholland was on the way to a relative's house to shoot at tin cans in the back yard and the bag containing the air pistol had split.

"He tried to indicate to the girls that he was not going to harm them, but accepts that, not knowing who he was, they may have been caused some alarm."