A shop worker has been made subject to a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) because of his 'inappropriate' behaviour to-wards teenage girls.

Mohammed Bux, 26, of Buncer Lane, Blackburn, was made subject to an order for five years by a district judge this week.

Under the terms of the order Bux is prohibited from working in shops where he is likely to be in contact with teenage girls, especially his father's shop on Preston Old Road, where he used to work.

He is also prohibited from having contact with anyone under the age of 18, or allowing anyone under the age of 18 to enter his home.

An interim SOPO given in October banned Bux from working at his family's shop after he began inducing young girls with cigarettes and alcohol.

At the time he claimed police had a 'personal vendetta' against him.

Bux, who was placed on the Sex Offender's Register in 2003 after being sentenced to 12 months in prison for indecent assault, said in October he was being punished for something he had served time for, and insisted he was not a bad guy'.

But on Wednesday, Blackburn District Judge Peter Ward served him with a five year SOPO, and warned Bux any breach was a criminal offence which could lead to a custodial sentence of up to five years.

Detective constable John Mather, the officer who had been monitoring Bux's behaviour and spoke in support of the SOPO in October, said this week: "I'm pleased with the result, it is the right one and it brings to an end a long inquiry."

Giving evidence to Blackburn magistrates last year, DC Mather outlined concerns about Bux's behaviour, including inappropriate comments and sexual innuendo to young female customers.

He also cited Bux, whose family used to run a shop in Mill Hill, offering alcohol and tobacco to girls as inducements to let him touch them.

DC Mather added: "This order is another step in protecting vulnerable people.

"Hopefully it also sends a message of reassurance to members of the public that Lancashire police will not tolerate this type of behav-iour and that we will deal with any breaches of this order robustly, and the same can be said of breaches of any similar orders."