A 67-year-old man has been jailed for two years after exposing himself and performing a sex act in front of a nine-year-old girl.

Martin Lawless, from Crumpsall, Manchester, committed the vile crime on February 19 while the child was standing outside her home with a friend.

Lawless, who has a history of sexual offenses, approached the children on his bike and exposed himself for several minutes, before performing a sex act.

He then rode off on his bike, but was detained by members of the public days later.

Sentencing Lawless, Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said: "A nine-year-old facing and witnessing what she did would certainly suffer distress."

Lawless admitted to the crime and said he confessed because he didn't want to cause the children any further distress.

He was also found to be in breach of a sexual harm prevention order, which banned him from contacting or being in company with children under 16.

Lawless's lawyer, Eleanor Gleeson, said that Lawless had been on medication at the time and had mixed tramadol with alcohol.

"That clearly had an impact upon him which lowered his inhibitions, which he says caused him to do what he did that day," she said.

The judge added: "The public need protection and the only way that protection can be manifest is by a prison sentence."