A PAEDOPHILE breached a court order banning him from talking to children when he offered sweets to a schoolgirl on a bus and approached young carol singers.

John Drury, 94, sat next to a 14-year-old girl after boarding the Number 8 Arriva bus in High Street, Colchester.

The teenager told investigating officers the convicted paedophile asked her which school she went to.

She went on to describe how the pensioner, who is the subject of a sexual offences prevention order, expressed a desire to marry her.

The conversation took place in February last year.

Drury again breached the order in December, when he twice approached a group of seven boys, aged between ten and 11, at the Co-op, in Mersea Road, Colchester.

The children were singing Christmas carols.

A trial was held across three days at Chelmsford Crown Court after Drury denied two counts of breaching the order.

Yesterday, the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts after just 35 minutes of deliberation.

During the trial, the jury watched footage of a police interview with the schoolgirl who Drury approached on the bus.

She described to police how she initially thought Drury was “just a lonely old man”.

But she became uncomfortable as the conversation progressed, describing his behaviour as “creepy”.

A teacher also gave evidence in the court in which she described how Drury approached a group of schoolchildren who were singing in the Co-op.

“He was addressing the group but I faced him and responded for them,” she said.

“He returned to the group later to say how much he had enjoyed the singing.”

Police later searched Drury’s home, finding a school picture he is said to have shown to the girl on the bus and a packet of Werther’s Originals.

In 2005, Drury, of Mersea Road, Colchester, was convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 and two counts of gross indecency with a child.

Judge David Turner QC adjourned the case until Monday, July 22, to allow for a pre-sentence report to be carried out.

Drury was remanded at a secure hospital until the sentencing hearing.