A flasher has been banned from speaking to any woman he does not know in a public place for five years - unless he's buying goods or services.

The draconian restriction has been imposed on 48-year-old Jason Littlewood.

Magistrates sitting at the magistrates' court in Carlisle agreed the Sexual Harm Prevention Order as part of a tough three-year community order with unpaid work.

Littlewood denied the offence but was convicted after a trial. He has vowed to lodge an appeal against the conviction.

The trial last month heard how Littlewood had confronted a woman he did not know late at night and engaged her in conversation about how he enjoyed wearing women's underwear.

He then pulled down his jeans, revealing he was wearing stockings and suspenders underneath - and exposing himself.

Littlewood denied deliberately exposing himself, and refused to accept that he had told his victim it was his fantasy to follow a woman home while dressed as he was. As they convicted him, magistrates said they had found the victim to be a credible witness.

The court was also told about the impact on her of the exposure, which happened in the city's English Street at about 2am on November 19 as the woman made her way home after a night out.

The woman accepted that Littlewood was not aggressive.

But in her victim impact statement, she described the experience as surreal, and said that she no longer felt safe walking home alone at night.

The woman was also worried about what may have happened had Littlewood confronted a younger woman. It presented as being "close to a dangerous situation," she said.

In court, defence lawyer Sean Harkin, for Littlewood, said there was no evidence that the victim was followed, and he suggested that the victim was not targeted - a conclusion rejected by magistrates.

"She said she didn't feel threatened," said Mr Harkin.

The lawyer pointed out that Littlewood had not been in trouble since 2011.

Presiding magistrate Tom Lomas told Littlewood: "We feel that there was specific targeting of a vulnerable victim."

The aggravating factors, said Mr Lomas, included Littlewood showing no remorse, and the evidence that he told the victim he wanted to follow her home while dressed as he was.

At this point, as he stood in the dock, Littlewood was shaking his head.

Magistrates imposed a 36 month community order, with 30 days of rehabilitation and a stipulation that the defendant attend a Sex Offender's Treatment Programme.

He must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community, and Littlewood's name will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for five years.

It forbids Littlewood, from Whinney Hill, Stockton-on-Tees, from contacting, approaching, or communicating with any female whom he does not know in a public place other than to obtain goods or services. The only exceptions allowed will be such contact when it is inadvertent or an emergency situation.

The Prosecution said the order was necessary to protect the public, or particular members of the public, from sexual harm