CAMPAIGNERS have been left disgusted after a serial sex pest who struck again was allowed to remain in the community.

Stewart Hargreaves, 61, of Foxhill Drive, Whitewell Bottom, Rossendale, has a string of convictions for indecent assaults and similar offences, stretching back nearly two decades.

In his latest attack, Hargreaves was convicted of indecently touching a young girl who had been selling soft toys door-to-door.

He had put his hand up her skirt.

When police arrived on his doorstep to question him about the incident he said: "Oh no, have I been at it again?"

But at Preston Crown Court yesterday he was not jailed, despite a judge considering a custodial sentence.

Hargeaves was given a guardianship order under the Mental Health Act by Judge Andrew Gilbart QC.

The order states he is now under the guardianship of Lancashire Social Services and Rossendale Primary Care Trust.

Officials can decide where he will live and it is thought he will be sent to Longcroft in Lancaster, a facility run by Christian charity Langley House Trust, which provides accommodation, training, education to those at risk of offending.

Norman Brennan, of the Victims of Crime Trust, said: "This individual clearly continues to present a danger to young girls and if we are to protect our children from such individuals then a term of imprisonment should surely be the most appropriate sentence."

Lynn Costello, co-founder of Mothers Against Murder and Aggression, added: "I am absolutely disgusted by this.

"If we don't send these people to prison we are not sending out the message that their behaviour will not be tolerated.

"When will this stop? This is supposedly a civilised country and yet these people are free to walk the streets."

Judge Gilbart, at one point, threatened to haul Lancashire County Council's social services director Richard Jones into court, after he became frustrated at delays in dealing with Hargreaves, who is said to suffer from dementia.

Two forensic psychiatrists agreed Hargreaves was suitable for a guardianship order. But a social worker disagreed with the diagnosis.

The other alternative for Hargreaves was jail - but there were concerns that he would remain unsupervised in the community upon his release.

The judge has previously expressed his frustrations that the case could not be resolved, after a number of adjournments.

He had criticised social services, saying that bosses needed to explain why they were willing to permit a person with dementia to be jailed, then released without any care package in place.

Hargreaves had previous convictions for indecent assault in 1988, when he was put on probation, 1990 when he was sent to prison for nine months and 1993 when he got six months for a sex attack in Rossendale.