A PUB customer was caught on CCTV with his trousers round his ankles masturbating.

Blackburn magistrates heard Harley Clayton Whitehead pleasured himself in a booth in the Bees Knees in Blackburn.

He was sitting in a booth with three females but could be seen by other customers, some of whom left the pub in disgust.

Assistant manager Louisa Malone also witnessed the incident and said she found his behaviour "disgusting and repulsive."

Whitehead, 29, of The Square, Waddington, pleaded guilty to indecent exposure, using threatening behaviour towards the pub manager, James McNally, and being drunk and disorderly in McDonald's in Clitheroe on a separate occasion.

He was made subject to a community order for 18 months with 40 days rehabilitation activity requirement, excluded from the Bees Knees and ordered to pay £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge. He was put in the Sex Offender Register for five years.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said in the preparation of a pre-sentence report the defendant had suggested he may not have been masturbating.

"That is not the case," said Miss Allan.

"The assistant manager says in her statement he was definitely masturbating in the booth in full public view. There is clearly some denial but he pleaded guilty on the basis that he was masturbating and that is the prosecution case."

Miss Allan said Whitehead was already barred from the Bees Knees following a previous incident when he had been abusive to staff.

He entered the pub at about 8pm on February 8 and Miss Malone immediately recognised him and told him to leave.

He responded by switching on a beer tap and trying to drink from it.

"He sat down in a booth with some females and was seen to pull his trousers down and expose his penis," said Miss Allan. She said Whitehead had a stand off with door staff and lunged at the manager, Mr McNally.

The incident in McDonalds happened at 2.30am after an officer had told Whitehead to get a taxi and go home because he was extremely drunk and staff had asked him to leave.

The officer returned to find Whitehead lying across a number of seats and staff said he had been spitting on the floor.

He became abusive towards the officer and threatened to spit on him.

Richard Prew, defending, said his client was thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour in the Bees Knees.

"I do say in open court that he accepted on the first occasion that masturbation had taken place," said Mr Prew.

"When he was interviewed by the probation service there was perhaps an element of minimisation but he doesn't wish to challenge the prosecution case."

READ > Teenager stabbed rival in Blackburn back alley after family feud

Mr Prew said that since the matters before the court Whitehead had curtailed his drinking and referred himself to Inspire.

"He is not a serial sex offender and in my opinion doesn't need to be put on the register," said Mr Prew.