A CONVICTED paedophile has appeared in court after being spotted striking up conversation with two children during services at a Boscombe church.

Christopher Taylor, 72, from Kings Park Drive, Bournemouth, admitted three breaches of a sexual offences prevention order.

The order, imposed after Taylor appeared at Nottinghamshire Crown Court in 2002, bans him from contact with under-16s or leaving Dorset without notifying police.

Prosecuting at Bournemouth Crown Court, Anita Gibson-Lee said Taylor attended St Andrew’s Church in Florence Road.

“During a Remembrance Day service on November 9, 2008, he was singing in the choir.

“A 15-year-old girl from St John Ambulance was carrying a flag through the church,” she said.

“Mr Taylor later approached her and said she was carrying it incorrectly. Carers intervened.”

On March 22 last year, during a Mother’s Day service, Taylor was observed approaching a 10-year-old boy and scolding him for leaving hymn books in the wrong place.

Taylor also admitted going on a church retreat in Wales without telling police of his whereabouts.

The court heard how he had been jailed for five years in 1985 for indecent assault and a serious sexual offence.

He received a two-year prison sentence in 1995 for perverting the course of justice and was jailed for four months in October 2005 for six breaches of the prevention order.

Miss Gibson-Lee added: “The Diocese of Winchester has been approached and they are in the process of drawing up a contract for him to abide by.”

In Taylor’s defence, the court was told that he was not intending to worship at St Andrew’s any longer after being “continually hounded by the police”.

Deferring sentencing for six months, Judge Christopher Harvey Clark QC told Taylor: “I want you to show co-operation with the police.

“I believe that there should be no problems with you attending services which are not generally attended by children and would encourage you to return to your worshipping practice.”

But Taylor said: “I can’t go back to St Andrew’s; the police have poisoned my name there. I’ve been a Christian all my life.”