A SCAFFOLDER who twice disrupted a city's historic horn blowing ceremony by dropping his trousers was told by a court yesterday that he could have gone to prison under new sex offences laws.

Magistrates heard how Lee Armitage struck as hornblower George Pickles was performing his nightly setting the watch ceremony in Ripon, North Yorkshire, on Saturday, September 25.

The ceremony involves Mr Pickles blowing his horn from the four corners of the market square obelisk.

Michael Hammond, prosuecuting at Harrogate Magistrates' Court, said 21-year-old Armitage, of Cranmore Crescent, Belle Isle, Leeds, dropped his trousers as he crossed the square, baring his private parts and making obscene movements with his body.

The court heard that his antics were captured on security video.

When Armitage pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals intending someone to see them and be caused alarm or distress, contrary to the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, the court was told that the old offence of "flashing" - indecent exposure - could now be tried either by magistrates or in a crown court.

Fining Armitage £250 with £55 costs, court chairman Alison Stockdale told him: ''This is now an inprisonable offence, but we have heard that you are sorry and that it won't happen again.''

In mitigation, Clive Farndon said Armitage had drunk much more than was normal for him and this, combined with others egging him on, had led to uncharacteristic "laddish behaviour".