A 54-YEAR-old sex offender has been jailed for breaking the terms of a court order by paying for children to play pool in a Worcestershire pub.

Eric Liveley was living in a tent in the Droitwich area and was looking for company when he breached the lifelong sexual offences prevention order handed down to him with a four-year prison term in 2010, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Stuart Clarkson, prosecuting, told the court Liveley was banned from seeking contact with children under 16 but between December 1 last year and February 28 this year, he went in to the pool room of the Star and Garter pub in Droitwich.

The room was popular with teenagers and also some younger children with their parents, Mr Clarkson said. Liveley would buy them crisps and soft drinks and on one occasion gave a boy £5 worth of 50p pieces to pay for the pool table. He also said he would buy him presents of an ipad and a motorbike and he also touched an older teenager on the leg.

He was banned from the pub following a complaint by a parent which was followed up by police. Liveley admitted the breach of the order.

Charles Hamer, defending, said he was living an isolated life in a tent in the Droitwich area at the time.

"He was going to the pub for company," Mr Hamer said. "He did not commit any actual offences but the concern is what was in his mind while he was talking to the young people."

He said Liveley was a recovering alcoholic who was now taking anti-depressants and other medication.

Judge Toby Hooper, QC, said Liveley had a record for dishonesty going back to 1977 and had been jailed for serious sexual offences in 2010. He had sought out the company of children despite the ban.

"You conducted yourself in a way that became offensive to them," he told Liveley, who appeared by video link from prison. "It was a flagrant and knowing disregard of the order which suggests a risk to children. My job is to protect the public and the only way to do that is by immediate imprisonment."

Liveley was jailed for 16 months. He will serve half in prison and then be on licence with supervision for a further

12 months under new sentencing legislation, the judge said.

His lifelong ban from any contact with anyone under 16 except in the normal everyday course of life remains in force.