A WOMAN caught a man who was exposing himself in front of children by following him onto a bus and persuading the driver to wait until police arrived.

At Bolton Magistrates’ Court 42-year-old John Burke was convicted of committing the offence whilst waiting at a bus stop beside Leverhulme Park on June 14.

Burke, of Shilton Gardens, Bolton, had denied intentionally exposing himself but was found guilty in his absence after failing to attend his trial.

Alan Bakker, prosecuting, told the court how, when arrested, Burke had claimed he had an itch but denied exposing his genitals.

Burke is alleged to have said: “I’ve not got my pina colada out — I only do that with my girlfriend,”

The woman witness told the court that she had been driving on Long Lane, Breightmet, at 4.20pm when her attention was drawn to a man at a bus stop who was dressed in winter clothing despite it being a warm summer day.

She added that she saw shock on the faces of children who were running away.

“As I got nearer I could see he had his bits out,” she said.

“I stopped because I could see there were a few children that were a bit distressed.”

She added: “ I hope someone would stop and help if it were my children.”

The woman was on the phone to police when she spotted Burke getting on a bus so she asked the driver to wait until officers arrived. Police who arrested Burke described him as looking unkempt and as if he had been drinking or taking drugs.

He admitted he had threatened three boys, who he claimed had been laughing at him, but denied exposing his genitals to them.

The woman witness denied she had been mistaken in what she had seen and magistrates described her evidence as “compelling”.

After finding Burke guilty magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest and he will be sentenced at a future date.