A man who exposed himself to a woman in her 50s has been spared a jail sentence.

David Gurr had been warned at a previous court hearing that he could face imprisonment.

But Ashford magistrates on Tuesday instead imposed a three-year community sentence.

The court heard that on August 7 last year Gurr, driving a Ford Transit van, had stopped to speak to the victim, who was smoking outside her Ashford home.

He at first complimented how she looked but then his remarks became more lewd and he exposed himself. The woman swore at him and told him to go away.

Gurr, 26, of Cressfield, Ashford, pleaded guilty to exposing himself with the intent of someone seeing this and being caused alarm or distress.

Anna Kachingwe, prosecuting, said that Gurr had two similar previous convictions in 2002, of indecent assault and then indecent exposure, for which he was jailed for 12 days.

Tony Harden, for Gurr, said at that time he did not get the help he needed and if he was imprisoned again he would still come out unchanged.

This case had now been adjourned for pre-sentence reports and Gurr, a father-of-one who works for a building firm, had 36 months’ supervision imposed on him.

He was put on the Sex Offenders’ register for five years and made to attend the Thames Valley Sex Offender’ Groupwork Programme.

Gurr was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to the victim, £60 costs, and had a sex offenders’ prevention order imposed on him, which includes staying properly covered in public.