A DRUNKEN and racist flasher who struck as children played in an Accrington street has been jailed for 26 months.

Daniel Ainsworth, 29, had insulted a group of Asian youngsters, made a lewd suggestion to a young woman and incited his dogs to attack residents.

He then abused the police in the frightening and unseemly incident in the middle of the afternoon, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Ainsworth, who has five previous convictions for racially aggravated disorder and conduct against the police going back as many years, was subject to a suspended jail term.

His behaviour was slammed as ‘appalling’ by a judge, who said he had tried to humiliate, degrade and demean the children and their mothers and his language had been vile.

Judge Graham Knowles, QC, told the defendant: "The only person on that street right thinking people would regard with contempt is you. The only person right thinking people would want to see the back of is you.

"You appear to have learned nothing at all from your history. You need to learn a different lesson today."

The defendant, of Craven Street, Accrington, had admitted racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.

Tim Brennand, prosecuting, said police were called just after 3pm, to reports of a man exposing himself and behaving in a ‘thoroughly unpleasant way’ in the street.

A number of children had been playing out and Ainsworth a glass of beer in his hand, had been shouting, swearing and racially abusing them.

He had had two litres of cider and was not fit to be interviewed until the day after.

Mr Brennand said Ainsworth brought out his dogs, unmuzzled, and encouraged them to attack .

He had been in the middle of the street, pulled down his pants, showed his buttocks, made an obscene remark, before exposing himself and suggesting a women commit a sex act on him.

Alan Wolstenholme, defending, told the court: :"He accepts that in a civilised society, he cannot behave in the way that he did."

"He is determined to change.”