A 34-YEAR-OLD man obsessed with an "unhappy" schoolgirl took her off to Wales to live in a caravan, a court was told.

Andrew Thornton's infatuation with the 14-year-old was so strong he told police nothing would stop him seeing her. The court heard he tried not to fall in love with the child.

Thornton, who ignored a six-month county court injunction taken out by the girl's mother banning him from seeing her, was jailed for 18 months.

Sentencing, Judge Anthony Proctor said there was no evidence the pair had sex.

He said he accepted the victim could have been having difficulties at home like other teenage girls and Thornton had tried to befriend her, but that had developed into a "most inappropriate infatuation over some months."

The judge added Thornton's behaviour was a "regrettable and stupid episode," although a psychologist believed the defendant, said to have a clinically significant personality trait, was not a danger to children in general.

Thornton, of Midgeley Street, Colne, admitted two charges of child abduction between last July and September.

William Staunton, prosecuting, said last June the child's mother became aware her daughter was associating with Thornton but the girl assured her the relationship was purely friendship.

She began staying out all night and was reported missing several times. The defendant and the victim's mother confronted each other and Thornton told her he liked other people's children because he could not have kids himself.

The next day the mother received a phone call saying her daughter was on a motorway bridge threatening suicide unless she allowed the defendant and the girl to stay together but police found nothing.

The mother later received a call she understood to be from the defendant saying he had got her daughter and demanding £20,000. The mother contaced her solicitor and got an injunction prohibiting Thornton contacting the girl until December but on July 5 the 14-year-old went missing from home.

She later got in touch with her mother saying she was with the defendant and they were in a caravan in North Wales. The schoolgirl went on to contact her mother saying she was pregnant and could only come home if she kept the baby.

Mr Staunton said the child phoned her mother saying she wanted to come home and a rendezvous was arranged at a petrol station in North Wales. The girl said she did not want police involved, officers arrived and the girl ran off after Thornton told her: "Run."

The girl and the defendant were found walking along a lane. The mother, because of promises made to her daughter, did not tell police about the caravan, but that she and the child had been reunited.

The prosecutor said in September Thornton again collected the girl and took her to Bangor where he was working.

Thornton, who sent the teenager text messages saying he was "head over heels with her," and was totally devoted, was arrested and told police the 14 year old old had wanted to be with him. He claimed he had tried to get her home but she had hit him.

Thornton told police he and the complainant had not had sex yet but they had kissed and cuddled.

David Leach, defending, said Thornton at first struck up the relationship with the girl because he was concerned for her well being. Things then rapidly developed into an inappropriate relationship.

Thornton said the thought of having sex with the girl never crossed his m ind but the obession clearly clouded his better judgment.