A DRUNKEN jape ended with a 21-year-old welder being placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

Shocked tourists, parents with small children and pensioners had their Sunday afternoon rocked when Paul Williamson decided to flash them in the middle of Bridge Street.

Williamson, of Wolverhampton - who was in Chester following the previous day's Grand National - was caught in the act by police CCTV cameras.

Upset families turned to police to catch the offender, who appeared in Chester Magistrates Court on Friday.

Magistrates were shown footage of the incident as CCTV cameras zoomed in on the offending behaviour on April 4.

Williamson was seen disappearing down an alleyway by the York-shire Bank at 1.40pm before reappearing with his flies undone, waving his penis and gesturing at passers-by.

The entire incident lasted for a couple of minutes before Williamson made himself decent again and set off down the street with a friend.

Defending, Gerry Pachter told the court his client was not a 'sexual deviant'.

Sue Gibson, prosecuting, said: 'At the time Bridge Street was very busy, with women with their children and elderly people.'

She explained what the video showed: 'He goes into an alleyway, pulls out his genitals then waves them around at passing people.'

Ms Gibson said officers on their way to catch Williamson received complaints from distressed passers-by.

'They were stopped by at least three members of the public who were disgusted by the behaviour,' she said.

Williamson was arrested and was found to be drunk. He told officers he felt ashamed and explained he had seen a man he had recognised, waved his penis at him but accepted others would have been upset. He couldn't explain why he did it.

Mr Pachter said: 'He's thor-oughly embarrassed, ashamed and disgusted. It was not his intention to upset anyone. He got carried away, saw someone he knew and didn't think what effect it would have on the public. He's deeply apologetic.'

Williamson was fined £500 and made to sign on to the sex offenders register for five years.

Sgt Andy Pickup, of the Inner Sector Community Action Team, told The Chronicle: 'Police attended this incident as a result of numerous calls from alarmed and distressed members of the public.

'This behaviour is totally unacceptable whether it's committed under the influence of alcohol or otherwise and we'll take positive action wherever these types of incidents occur.

'The seriousness of this individual's behaviour has been reflected by the sentence imposed by the court.'