A man who admitted sexually assaulting two girls aged 11 and 15 has been jailed for a year and four months.

Both girls have been left scared and upset by the attacks, which happened within two days of each other in October last year, Newport Crown Court heard.

In the first attack, Alex Dale, 32, from Adamsdown, Cardiff, targeted a 15-year-old girl as she was travelling on a bus in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, on 23 October.

In the second attack, an 11-year-old girl was attacked while walking her dog near a golf club in the north of Cardiff.

The first attack in Barry took place at 20:30 and the 15-year-old was dressed in her school uniform.

Dale went to sit next to her, telling her he needed help with his phone. The girl refused, but the court heard he forced her to lean against the window.

He then showed her a text message offering her £20 to take part in a sex act with him under his coat. The message ended with the words “don’t tell anyone”.

The girl ran to the front of the bus, telling the driver what happened and he threw Dale off the bus.

In the second incident Dale approached the 11-year-old girl while she was walking her dog in the early evening, asking for directions to a local shop.

Dale then told the child there was something on her neck and then kissed her on the lips.

The court heard he held her as she struggled to get away, then pushed her to the ground.

The court was told both girls had been deeply affected what happened to them.

The mother of the 11-year-old said her daughter has been left anxious and distressed, and was worried about going out in public and meeting people.

Her confidence has been dented and the experience has had a negative impact on her schoolwork, her mother said.

In a statement, the 15-year-old told the court she felt nervous, scared and vulnerable.

Dale looked straight ahead in the dock and showed no emotion as he was sentenced by judge Carl Harris.

Dale was given 16 months for inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and seven months for sexually assaulting the 11-year-old, with both sentences to run concurrently.

Because he has already served 10 months on remand, Dale will be released in about a month’s time.

Dale is barred from any unauthorised and unsupervised contact with children under 18 for a period of 10 years.

The judge Carl Harrison told him the restriction was necessary to protect the public from harm.