A drunk flasher shouted happy birthday as he pranced around naked on a bowling green while a two year old girl played nearby.

Stephen Baker, of Watergate Street, said he felt ‘ashamed’ when his friend pulled down his trousers exposing his genitals as children played nearby – describing it as a ‘childish joke’ that went ‘horribly wrong’.

And when police arrived the father-of-two was found carrying a home made cosh, a medieval style weapon made out of a snooker ball wrapped in a knotted sock, which he claimed was a toy for a dog, despite not having one with him.

The 50-year-old, who was drunk and living in Richmond Court homeless hostel at the time of the incident on September 15 this year, went on to threaten to rape the police officer’s family and attack him when he got off duty and head butted the reflective glass at the custody suite so many times he had a gash in his head.

Baker, who drank a bottle of wine before the incident in Water Tower Gardens, said he hadn't drunk since the shameful incident which acted as a wake up call to his drink problem.

“I've got children myself, I couldn't do that,” said Baker, who said he shouted happy birthday at a female friend from the hostel.  She was out drinking with him in the park when she pulled down his trousers as a joke as people were walking home from work at around 6pm.

“I didn't have any intention of exposing myself to anyone, I really didn't, it was just a stupid drunken act.”

Baker, who apologised to the female witnesses and said he was ‘ashamed’ of his actions, was found guilty of one count of exposure and one count of possession of an offensive weapon during a two hour trial at Chester Magistrates Court on Monday, December 8.

A shocked mum, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, described how she felt ‘disgusted’ when she saw the man ‘prancing’ around exposing himself as her daughter played on the climbing frame in the popular gardens.

“Initially I was amazed by what he had done,” said the mum, who said she was wary of the man’s behaviour, and kept her eye on him to protect her two-year-old child, who didn't see the incident.

“It is not something I expect to see whilst out with my two-year-old. I was pretty disgusted by what he had done.”

A second woman, who was walking back to her car on her way home from work, said Baker shouted ‘happy birthday’ in her direction and was shaking his genitals at her.

“I felt a little bit intimidated, there were children playing on a nearby park at the time,” she said, saying that the naked man shouted ‘don’t look’ at her as she walked past the park.

Baker blamed his friend, who appeared in court and described how she pulled down his trousers as a ‘stupid thing’ while they were ‘having a giggle’ as they celebrated her birthday.  When he was arrested by PC Martin Redhead at the gardens he had a sock stuffed with a snooker ball tied with a knot in the end in his pocket

But the 50-year-old claimed that the home made cosh was a toy for his dog, which had been run over, and he was taking it to give to a man he often saw walking in the park.

Releasing him on unconditional bail while reports are prepared, magistrates said Baker’s version of events were ‘not believable’.

He is due back before the court on December 31 for sentencing.