A man who had been banned from travelling by train has been jailed after he admitted committing sexual offences on two separate rail journeys in Norfolk on the same day.

Clifford Hayes was travelling on a train between Thetford and Norwich when he sat next to a teenager and sexually assaulted her before he went onto commit another offence on another train a few hours later.

During a journey between Diss and Norwich Hayes, of Trafalgar Road, Great Yarmouth, touched himself sexually in front of another woman who was a passenger in the same carriage.

Hayes, who had been banned from travelling by train in 2010 following previous similar offences, was jailed for three and a half years at Norwich Crown Court after he admitted one count of sexual assault and another offence of outraging public decency.

The 55-year-old, who on his release must spend a further three and a half years on licence, was sentenced on Wednesday after he also admitted two counts of breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOP0).

The court heard the offences happened on November 30 last year when, after boarding the 12.38pm service from Thetford to Norwich, he touched a woman inappropriately.

On the same day, he got on the 6.50pm train from Diss to Norwich and committed the offence of outraging public decency.

Both offences put him in breach of sexual offences prevention orders which had been put in place after he was dealt with for previous offences.

Speaking after the case, PC Tom Dunn-Morey from the British Transport Police (BTP) said: 'Although Hayes had managed to curb his disgusting behaviour for a few years since his last release, sadly he slipped back into his old ways.

'However, his habitual method of targeting lone females on a train for his own sexual gratification led us straight to him and thankfully, we were able to swiftly arrest him, putting him before the courts before anyone else fell victim to his offending.

'I would like to commend both women for coming forward and refusing to let Hayes get away with what he had done.

'We are satisfied with the sentence handed to Hayes and we hope it gives him time to reflect on what he has done, truly learning his lesson so he ceases to be a pest towards women on the rail network.'

Hayes was also placed on the sexual offenders register for life.