A MAN who stood at his front window and committed an act of gross indecency when children were going to school has been placed on probation for three years.

One 11-year-old girl saw Eric Scotson, 59, twice in one day and a mother and her five-year-old daughter also saw Scotson.

Yesterday Scotson, of Spa Road, Hag Fold, Atherton, appeared at Bolton Crown Court to be sentenced for two charges of gross indecency. The court heard that Scotson, who has learning difficulties, is looked after by his brother on a virtually full-time basis.

The first offence happened on October 3 last year when a schoolgirl was on her way to school with her sister.

She fled but later that day, at about 3.50pm, Scotson was again stood in the window committing an act of gross indecency when the girl and a mother with a five-year-old child saw him.

The girl was interviewed by police and later Scotson was arrested and charged. At first he had difficulty in understanding he had committed the offences. Judge William Morris accepted the recommendation of a pre-sentence report to place him on probation for three years. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years.