A HOMELESS convicted sex offender who had been living on the streets of Darlington is facing custody for failing to tell the police about his change in circumstances.

Andrew Bland was found by police looking dishevelled as he walked along Commercial Street in the town on December 10 last year.

When the 37-year-old was spoken to he admitted that he had been thrown out of a house on Mowden Terrace in Darlington in June but had failed to register his change of details.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Bland was given a life-long notification requirement for the sex offenders' register following a conviction in 1999.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said: "Bland was living at an address on Mowden Terrace but a man there threw him out of his home. Six months later he was stopped on Commercial Street carrying two plastic bags. The police believed he was homeless at the time but the defendant denied sleeping rough.

"This is the eighth breach of a court order."

Mr Newcombe added that the probation service had raised concerns about his 'transient lifestyle' and police believe he poses a high risk of reoffending.

The court heard how Bland had a number of previous convictions and had been jailed several times for breaching the condition of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

In 2013 Bland was was caught on CCTV cameras approaching women and youngsters in the Castlegate shopping centre in Stockton.

Under a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO), he is prohibited from "loitering in any pace within 20 metres of anyone under-16".

On that occasion he was jailed for 12 months.

He also breached the SHPO in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and received prison sentences ranging from six months to three years.

The defendant was back before the courts in 2014 when he admitted joining Darlington Library when he was visited at home by a police officer who was carrying out a risk management review of him.

Judge Howard Crowson jailed Bland for 14 months, giving him credit for his early guilty plea.

Martin Towers, representing Bland, accepted his client's pre-sentence report was not good reading for his client but asked for checks to be made to ensure that Bland was subject to a life-long notification order.

Judge Stephen Ashurst decided to adjourn sentencing until it could be confirmed that the correct length of the order.

He said: "A query has been made whether you are subject to a lifetime notification order and that does have a bearing on the outcome of the sentencing exercise. I think it is important that the court gets it right.

"Obviously, any extra time you spend in custody will come off your sentence the ultimately receive."

Bland will be sentenced on March 16.