A woman who lied about her age to form friendships with boys as young as 10 has been labelled a sexual danger to children.

Shannon Irwin, 19, told four boys - aged between 10 and 13 - and their parents that she was 15 before she started a relationship with the 13-year-old.

Irwin, of Newlands, Glasgow, regularly invited the youngsters to her flat and would also wait for them outside their school in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire.

She even had dinner at one boy's home because his family believed she was his friend from school.

However, her web of deceit began to collapse when her flatmate Colette McNicholl, 18, alerted her own parents to Irwin's behaviour in November last year and the police were called in.

Irwin, who had been barred from contacting boys under 16 following an unrelated appearance at Glasgow Sheriff Court in October, was arrested and held again just days later after texting one of them.

Shannon Irwin, 19, told four boys - aged between 10 and 13 - and their parents that she was 15 before she started a relationship with the 13-year-old

A trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court saw Irwin deny allegations of contacting the boys and kissing one of them on the lips between November and December 2015.

But after forcing them to give evidence against her she was found guilty on both counts by Sheriff Marie Smart and has now been placed under supervision for three years and put on the Sex Offenders' Register.

She had previously pleaded guilty to contacting one of the boys immediately after being released from custody to let him know she was out.

The decision was met with fury by a mother whose 12-year-old son had been tricked by Irwin

Speaking outside court, she said: 'I cannot understand how the justice system can work like this.

'She has ruined the life of my son and will no doubt ruin the life of many more in the future. She could have got all the help she needed in the jail just like the rest of them.

'If she was a man then she would have been sent to prison.'

Irwin's flatmate McNicholl described in court how she contacted her mother because of Irwin's behaviour.

She said: 'I think I saw her once with her boyfriend in the flat, and they went into the back room. I text my mum saying the two boys were in the flat because of their age.

'I knew what Shannon was doing in the back room and I knew it wasn't right.'

The court heard Irwin was later arrested and told police she could not live without the boy and insisted they were in a relationship.

One mother told the trial Irwin was a regular guest at her house but had fooled her into believing she was 15.

She said: 'Shannon was at my house quite frequently, at least once a week. She would chap him up or give me a text to ask if he was coming out to play.

'Even when I told her he wasn't in, she would still turn up at the house.

One mother told the trial Irwin was a regular guest at her house but had fooled her into believing she was 15

'It wasn't until December that we found out the actual age of her and decided not to let her have anything to do with him.

'At the time I thought she was 15 and everything was fine because that is what my son told me.'

Irwin, who did not give evidence, was convicted of breaching a Risk of Sexual Harm Order barring her from contacting males under the age of 16 between November and December 2015, and was also found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a 13-year-old boy by kissing him on the lips.

She had earlier admitted contacting one of the boys immediately after being released from custody to let him know she was out.

Sentencing Irwin, Sheriff Smart said: 'I accept all of the evidence from the Crown witnesses, the young boys were very impressive even though it was clearly an embarrassing thing for them to have to do.

'You clearly need a great deal of help so that young boys are protected from you.

'What I heard about was very unpleasant and you caused harm to them by associating with them when you were much older.

'I could sentence you to a custodial sentence but that would not protect young boys from you in the future.

'Instead I will impose a community payback order where you will be under supervision from the social work department who will offer you all the help you need to understand what you were doing was wrong. That relationship must come to an end.'