A MAN who acted as a football club mascot has received a six-month jail sentence for indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Entertainer Alan Smith, 50, of Carter Street, Accrington, committed the offence while he worked with his victim in a pub kitchen.

Sentencing him, judge Anthony Russell QC said he should be 'thoroughly ashamed' after pulling the girl's knickers from her trousers and touching her on her back.

Smith will not serve any more time behind bars because he has already been in jail for six months following his arrest on child sex charges.

He was suspended from his role as Stan the Monkey, which was not linked to any of the allegations, by Accrington Stanley after being charged and has now been sacked.

He was due to stand trial for a number of sex offences but proceedings were halted when he pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child.

Judge Russell, at Burnley Crown Court, told him: "Your conduct was indecent. You assaulted this girl's privacy and dignity.

"You were over familiar with her and she did not want the attentions of a man old enough to be her father or possibly her grandfather, yet you persisted.

"You were a pest to her and you ought to be thor- oughly asham-ed."

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, told the court Smith was working with the girl when he had prodded her with a pool cue and put his hands over her eyes and asked if she was afraid of the dark before committing the offence.

The girl told police Smith had made her feel 'dirty and horrible', the court heard.

In Smith's defence Judith McCullough, said he accepted he had over-stepped the boundaries of what was appropriate behaviour and wanted to apologise to the girl.

She said his life had been thrown into turmoil be- cause of his prosecution. His reputation was in tatters and his house and car had been vandalised, she said.

Formal not guilty verdicts were recorded on two further charges of sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act and a child abduction charge.

One further charge of sexual activity with a child was ordered to lie on the file.

Smith was ordered to be put on the sex offenders' register for seven years.