A man has been convicted of a public order offence after terrifying schoolchildren by wearing a pig mask.

Stephen Evans, of Edith Berry Court, Malvern, was given a two-year criminal behaviour order (CBO) and fined a total of £100.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £34.

Evans, an ex-soldier, was arrested in December 2019 after approaching children from the Chase School, Malvern, wearing a pig mask, and has now been banned from Geraldine Road (site of the school).

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The CBO also rohibits Evans from approaching and speaking to children who are unaccompanied by adults, wearing any face-covering in public other than for protective reasons, from acting in any manner likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, as well as coming within 300 metres of any school between the hours of 8am and 6pm.

The order was issued on Monday, August 2, at Worcester Magistrates Court.

Police Constable David Olczak, of the Pickersleigh Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “Mr Evans fails to acknowledge the effect that his behaviour has on the local community.

"He has been reported to act out more in front of children, possibly as he gets more of a reaction and social media attention from some of them.

"We do not believe that this behaviour around children is for sexual gratification and is more for the reaction and almost fan following that he gets from some of the older children.

"Unfortunately, it is believed that his altercation with the school crossing lady occurred whilst he was intoxicated.

"His behaviour is unacceptable and this criminal behaviour order assists in restricting his controversial and unruly behaviour in the community”.

Mum Stacey Lee, 31, said her 11-year-old daughter Misha was too scared to walk to school after an incident on November 27, 2019.

She said: “He was jumping in front of kids and throwing his arms out to scare them.

"I thought it might've been a one-off, but he was back outside the school the next day.”

Evans was previously slapped with a public order offence for “impersonating a lollipop lady” after grabbing a stick from crossing guard Trudy Macey on November 11, 2019.

Members of the public are encouraged to report any breaches of the orders to West Mercia Police on 101.