Neil Poundford was arrested two months after being released from prison when a police officer spotted the 61-year-old travelling on a bus from Normanton to Wakefield.

Poundford was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) in 2017 after he was locked up for two offences of sexual assault.

He preyed on one 17-year-old victim as she was travelling on a bus between Wakefield and Dewsbury.Leeds Crown Court heard the order banned him from using public transport for ten years unless accompanied by an appropriate adult.

Poundford has served further prison sentences for breaching the order on two previous occasions.The court heard a police officer spotted Poundford travelling alone on a bus on November 17 this year.

The defendant was arrested and told the officer: "I know, I'm guilty."

He was interviewed and claimed he had travelled on the bus alone as he did not know any appropriate adults who would travel with him.

Poundford said he committed the offence out of "bloody mindedness"

He pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

It is the third time he has breached the order.

On a previous occasion Poundford claimed he breached the order as he needed to get to the chemist to collect his prescription.The defendant was given the SHPO when he was jailed for 16 months in August 2017 for two offences of sexual assault.

He targeted a 17-year-old victim as she was travelling on a bus between Wakefield and Dewsbury on May 5 of that year.

Poundford sat next to her and began talking to her,

He then grabbed her face and said: “I think I recognise you.”

Poundford then started to talk about driving lessons and touched the victim on her arm.

The victim felt frightened and got up to leave then Poundford slapped her behind as she walked away.

He was arrested and released on bail but preyed on a 13-year-old girl at a bus stop in Horbury, Wakefield, two months later.

Poundford approached the girl on Westfield Lane and made a comment about her jeans before touching her knee.

Poundford then showed her a bank book and said he had £3,000 in his account. He also touched her face before she walked away and told a friend what had happened.

He was arrested for a second time and admitted what he had done.

James Littlehales, mitigating, said Poundford committed his latest offence after he had been placed in accommodation in Normanton when released from custody.

He said Poundford was running out of money and relied on a community project based in Wakefield city centre.

Mr Littlehales said the project provided him with clothing and free meals but he could not find anyone to accompany him on the bus due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

He added: "Effectively he had no money to purchase food and had no other means."

Poundford was jailed for eight months.

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told Poundford: "You knew full well that should you be arrested for committing this breach you would be sent to custody and you took that risk.

"I am afraid it has to be custody.

"You will have to manage your finances better in future to avoid something like this again."

Poundford appeared in court via a video link from prison.

As he was being sentenced, Poundford said: "I just wanted to say that before I got on any bus, if I saw any young ladies on the bus I wouldn't get on it.

"I let two buses go by earlier when I saw that there were some young ladies on.

"I'm not an articulate man but that's the truth.

"I'm going to do my best when I get out of custody to find an appropriate adult.

"I'm sure I can get at least one of my old friends from the past.

"I have only got myself to blame."

Yorkshire bus pervert breached sex order by using public transport during lockdown