A PENSIONER approached schoolgirls in a park offering money for sex, a court heard yesterday.

Seventy-one-year-old Peter Atkinson tried to proposition the girls, aged 12 and 14, at least three times in a week, initially asking to see their private parts.

Durham Crown Court heard he offered them £4 to run naked round the park, and on the third approach asked them to go back to his home "for a threesome".

Amanda Rippon, prosecuting, said the girls, truanting from school, became distressed and sought out a park attendant to report what happened.

Miss Rippon said the attendant at Woodhouse Park, Peterlee, County Durham, already had concerns about Atkinson's activities and had used the park camcorder to record him approaching the girls.

He alerted police, who spoke to Atkinson before accompanying the girls home.

Atkinson was arrested and rejected their allegations, claiming they made the approaches to him.

Atkinson, of Cheviot Place, Peterlee, admitted three counts of inciting girls aged 12 and 14 to take part in sexual activity.

Jamie Adams, mitigating, said Atkinson, a divorcee, lived alone and was in ill-health, awaiting a hip replacement operation.

"He presents as a solitary, lonely individual who is not in the best of health, struggling to get around with the use of walking sticks, and he doesn't have much of a life."

Mr Adams said Atkinson needed to confront his actions and could benefit from a probation service course to address his "inappropriate behaviour".

Judge Richard Lowden said despite misgivings over its potential success, he agreed to an adjournment to assess Atkinson's suitability to undergo a probation programme.

Bailing Atkinson to return for sentence in three weeks, Judge Lowden said: "It may just be putting off the evil hour."