A MAN has pleaded guilty to a public order offence after he exposed himself inside a Tesco store in Weymouth.

George Vaughan Carter, 31, was in the Tesco Express in Dorchester Road, on Lodmoor Hill at around 8pm on May 22 after having a few drinks with friends when he exposed himself to members of staff.

Prosecuting, Richard Oakley, told Weymouth Magistrates Court that Carter, of Chickerell, was not wearing a mask when he went into the store and was approached by a male security guard who asked if he was exempt from wearing one, which he said he was.

READ MORE: Weymouth man allegedly 'exposed himself' at Tesco Express in Dorchester Road

The security guard alerted another male member of staff who said that the defendant appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and was slurring his words.

Mr Oakley said that Carter told the security guard that he was exempt because he had a lump, at which point he started to lift the left leg of his shorts up, exposed himself and laughed.

The security guard said a female customer witnessed Carter exposing himself and looked disgusted and immediately left the store.

Carter was said to have refused to leave the shop and said he wanted to buy cigarettes, at which point the police were called.

Carter confirmed in a police interview that he had been drinking in the Lodmoor area with friends. He said if he showed his penis it was unintentional, and was intending to show a lump which resembled something like an ingrown hair by lifting his shorts.

He admitted in the police interview that he was not exempt from wearing a face mask.

Mr Oakley then proceeded to show magistrates CCTV footage from the store showing the incident.

He said the video did not appear to show any member of public who was nearby or visibly upset.

Mitigating, Lee Christmas, said Carter accepts that he went into the Tesco store not wearing a mask.

He said Carter and his friends were just joking, and were not trying to cause offence or alarm.

He said a woman was not seen in any of the CCTV footage and if she did see the incident she would have been quite some distance away.

Mr Christmas said: "The point is, he did not intend to cause harassment, alarm or distress."

Chairman of the bench, Richard MacRae, said: "It was really beneficial to see the CCTV footage, we can see from this video that it does not look intentional and was influenced by alcohol."

Carter was given a six month conditional discharge.