A PAEDOPHILE pensioner is back behind bars for breaching a sexual offences prevention order for the ninth time.

Teesside Crown Court heard today (Wednesday, April 30) that 70-year-old John Locke tapped at the window and opened the door of a Middlesbrough home where a four-year-old boy lived with his mother.

It was around 10pm on March 17 and Locke claimed that he was cold and lost, and asked the boy’s mother to let him in.

Prosecutor Sue Jacobs said that the woman refused his request several times before Locke was removed from the property by some people walking down the street.

The passers-by then told her that Locke, of Marton Road, Middlesbrough, was a known sex offender.

Mrs Jacobs said this concerned the woman because she knew Locke had seen her out with her son before and in her opinion he had been watching them.

Mrs Jacobs read from the mother’s statement which said: “I was scared; he had seen my son days before.

“I am shocked and concerned that the man is allowed to be in this area.”

She added that she had almost let him in because she felt sorry for him.

The court heard that Locke had a previous conviction for indecently assaulting a 14-year-old boy and had been placed under a sexual offences prevention order which he then continually breached.

Mitigating, Andrew Turton admitted that a report prepared on Locke was “very depressing”.

He said that Locke, who admitted the latest breach, had last been released from prison on January 10.

He added: “The report makes note that he normally returns within a matter of days, but on this occasion he was out for two months.

“March 18 is when he returned (to custody); clearly he has been longer in the community than on previous occasions.”

However, Mr Turton conceded that another custodial sentence was inevitable and it was just a question of how long.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, criticised Locke for consistently breaching his order.

He said he had no doubt that Locke was aware of the terms of the order and that a more drastic step was needed.

He then jailed him for 18 months.