Paedophile said he would pose as 'schoolgirl's' grandad during McDonald's meet-up.

A man who attempted to arrange a sexual meeting with a child was jailed for 30 months after being caught in a sting operation.

Harry Croft, 61, contacted what he believed to be a 12-year-old girl in a chatroom in November 2022, sending her lewd messages and requesting pictures of her in revealing clothing. He even suggested they would pretend to be grandparent and grandchild if anyone became suspicious at their planned meeting at a McDonald's branch in Newton-le-Willows.

However, Croft was actually communicating with an undercover police officer. During the conversation, he admitted to having a "fantasy" and being "scared of being found out."

Croft was arrested at the meeting point on December 20 and later admitted to attempting sexual communications with a child and arranging a child sex offence.

Sentencing him to 30 months in prison, Judge Andrew Menary KC said: "The reality is, you recognise, there must be a prison sentence for these matters. The hope is, when you have served it, you will not commit any further offences in the future."

Croft was also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders' register for the same period.