A MAN who claimed he waved a novelty rubber penis at his neighbour has been found guilty of indecent exposure.

A jury at Bolton Crown Court took less than 45 minutes to decide that Eric Parton had exposed himself to his neighbour in Harwood in October last year.

Parton, who had claimed he was showing a novelty penis bought on holiday in Spain so his partner could see it on a CCTV monitor inside their home, will now be subject to a sexual offences prevention order for the next seven years.

He was also given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and will have to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

The court was told that Parton was given a restraining order against the neighbour in 2013 after a complaint of harassment.

The order was still in operation at the time of the incident, and while Parton did not officially breach the order, Judge Timothy Clayson said he had “breached it in spirit”.

The court was told that Parton and the neighbouring family have been involved in “acrimonious disputes” for a number of years.

Judge Clayson said: “In October last year you exposed your penis while walking round the back of your van, quite deliberately, in order to distress your female neighbour who was about to shut the curtains of the upstairs window.

“You were involved in a long-running dispute with the family.

"I’m not going to send you to prison immediately today but this certainly calls for a suspended sentence.”

The neighbour had told the court during the trial that she was in “no doubt” that it was Parton’s real penis that was exposed and that he had looked at her while flashing her.

Parton, who runs a tattoo business in Southport, maintained throughout the trial that he was going to a friend’s house to return the novelty penis, which he said they had bought on holiday.

The court was told that both Parton and the neighbouring family are seeking to leave their homes in Brook House Close.

Parton, who denied indecent exposure, must also pay prosecution costs of £3,000 and was ordered to pay his victim compensation of £250.

The victim’s father said after the case: “I’m just glad that he has been found guilty and my daughter is over the moon. How he thought he could get away with it I don’t know.”