A 76-YEAR-OLD ice-cream man exposed himself to a 13-year-old girl, her mother and her aunt as they queued for cornets at his van has been "ostracised" by the community in which he lives.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Fred Watson had even been dropped from his snooker team as a result of the "shameful" events.

The court had previously been told that Watson had worked as a summer salesman for three years despite having previous convictions of a sexual nature.

Watson, of George Street, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to intentionally exposing himself.

He was made subject to a three-year community rehabilitation order, with a condition that he attends the community sex offenders programme, and placed on the sex offender register for five years.

The court heard that two sisters were out with their children on Sunday, May 16.

They were near the Spread Eagle at Sawley on the banks of the River Ribble. Judy Balderstone, prosecuting, said the two women went with their children to get ice cream and as they got near to the van they heard Watson say: "Look at this fine figure of womanhood."

"They thought this was unusual because at that stage he could not see them and they assumed the remark was directed at the 13-year-old girl," said Miss Balderstone.

The women ordered four cones for Watson who was wearing a short sleeved shirt, which was not tucked in, and trousers.

"As he reached up they saw, from no more than two metres away, that his shirt rose up and he was fully exposed," said Miss Balderstone.

When interviewed Watson said it must have been an accident that he was exposing himself.

She revealed that Watson had a conviction for indecent exposure in 1980 and in 2000 had been convicted of disorderly behaviour.

Elizabeth Parker, defending, said that since the conviction Watson had been shunned by former friends and acquaintances.

"He has been completely ostracised in the local community, even to the extent that he has been dropped from the snooker team," said Mrs Parker.

"It is very sad for someone of his age."

Speaking after the hearing at Blackburn magistrates the girl's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she found it "disturbing" that Watson had been able to get a job as a van salesman dealing extensively with children.