A MAN who exposed himself to a pair of girls days after his release from prison has had his sentence reduced.

Michael Croney, 36, of Deneside, Consett, County Durham, was jailed for four years at Newcastle Crown Court in August, after admitting gross indecency.

He was also found to be in breach of a three-year community rehabilitation order imposed following his release from prison in February last year; he had been jailed for similar offences in Surrey, in March 2001.

Yesterday, Mrs Justice Cox, sitting with Lord Justice Kay and Mr Justice Goldring at the Court of Appeal, in London, cut Croney's sentence to 30 months, ruling that four years was manifestly excessive. She said there was no evidence that Croney could go on to carry out "contact offences" when he was released.

The judge said that in February last year, Croney exposed himself to two girls waiting at a Newcastle bus stop. He had been jailed in September 2001 after pleading guilty to a catalogue of similar offences, including two counts of gross indecency and one of indecent exposure, the court was told.

Pre-sentence reports indicated Croney had little insight into his motivation for offending, and the risk of his offending in the future was deemed to be high.