A CONVICTED robber has added sex offender to his catalogue of convictions after being jailed for exposing himself to children.

Mark McGarvey, of Gerrard Avenue, was sentenced to 15 months after he admitted following young girls in order to expose and touch himself in Asda Westbrook and Woolworths, on Sankey Street.

At Warrington Crown Court on Friday, Judge Elgan Edwards, the Recorder of Chester, said: "It is quite disgraceful. It is disgusting and you should feel thoroughly ashamed of yourself."

The court heard how the married father struck on three occasions, using the collection of his wife's medical prescriptions as the pretext of his visits.

The first time he preyed on two youngsters who had been looking at Barbie dolls in Woolworth's before standing behind them and touching himself.

Prosecution barrister, Karl Sholt, said: "The defendant then started following them as they left the shop and was captured on CCTV footage."

In January, he exposed and touched himself near two girls choosing sweets in Asda Westbrook.

Days later, he visited the supermarket's lingerie department where he was caught caressing a pair of knickers before touching himself.

Each time he was spotted by shop assistants.

McGarvey has a string of previous convictions for theft and dishonesty, and in 1993 he jailed for five years for robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

Four years later, he was sentenced to nine years for robbery and two counts of attempted robbery.

Simon Berkson, defence barrister, said: "His record shows him to be a serious criminal but not a serious sex criminal.

"He has a great difficulty in admitting his guilt despite the CCTV evidence."

The pervert was also placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for the next 10 years and banned from having contact with children under 16-years-old.