A Harringay man has been banned from using the Tube for five years

A Harringay pervert with a history of exposing himself on the underground has been banned from using the Tube after being caught touching himself through holes in his pocket twice in one day.

Alkin Dervish - who had a string of indecent exposure convictions during the 1960s and 1970s - ripped holes in his trouser pockets so he could touch himself in front of female passengers while travelling on Piccadilly Line trains last April, Westminster Magistrates Court heard.

The 62-year-old - who pleaded guilty to two counts of outraging public decency - was first spotted masturbating at about 3.30pm on Saturday, April 14, on a tube travelling into central London.

Carol Summers, prosecuting, told the court he stood opposite a woman and put his hand inside his trousers and began to pleasure himself, covering his face as he did so. He only stopped and walked away when another passenger noticed what was happening.

But within minutes he had started to masturbate inside his trousers in front of another woman.

When rumbled for the second time, he jumped off the train at Holborn but resurfaced on the Piccadilly Line at Arnos Grove an hour and a half later - when he once again began touching himself in front of one woman until she moved away from him.

Dervish, who lives in sheltered housing in Finsbury Park Avenue, off Green Lanes, then sat down in front of another woman and began to masturbate once more.

This time, a London Underground worker saw Dervish and detained him at Wood Green Station until police arrived.

He admitted he had been drinking, which sends him doolally, Ms Summers said.

Dervish was convicted six times between 1967 and 1979 of indecent exposure, being caught at stations including Euston Square, Kings Cross, and Lambeth but Unnati Bhatt, mitigating, said her client had stopped offending for more than 30 years before being caught masturbating inside his trousers on the Victoria Line in October 2010.

She said he battled to control his drinking and his urges but lapsed after leaving a treatment centre.

Miss Bhatt said: "He is able to accept responsibility for his actions, which must signify that he is able, with the right help, to control his actions.

"He is capable of controlling himself and indeed he has done in the past."

District Judge Elizabeth Roscoe, sentencing, said she agreed with the Probation Services assessment his actions were "to a degree" pre-planned, because of the holes in his pockets.

Dervish, whose glasses were held together with tape, stared at the ground as he was given a six month suspended sentence.

Judge Roscoe added: "Your record is very old but significant, and indeed has the same offences of targeting very young women."

He must sign the sex offenders register, complete a 12-month supervision order, and is banned from all Tube stations and trains for the next five years.