A STALKING accused man has been locked up after being found guilty of breaching a bail order to stay away from a walking club's premises in Gourock.

Alexander McCullough — who is barred from unsupervised contact with all women — turned up at The Bothy facility in the town's railway station on Boxing Day.

The 54-year-old was caught out by a walk co-ordinator and a fellow club member because his bail terms had been published in the Greenock Telegraph, a trial heard.

Both witnesses, a 61-year-old man and a woman aged 49, told McCullough that he shouldn't be there, but he ignored them.

The man told Greenock Sheriff Court: "He said he didn't know what I was talking about, that he hadn't been informed of any of this.

"Alex went into the bothy and said he'd not been in any trouble."

The woman — who alerted police — said: "I opened up and Alex followed me in.

"It was in the Greenock Telegraph about his bail conditions."

McCullough is charged with stalking a woman in Gourock whilst subject to a female-banning anti-social behaviour order [ASBO] imposed on him eight years ago.

It had been a condition of his bail not to enter Kempock Street and he was also told to stay away from the woman and The Bothy.

McCullough is accused of engaging in a course of conduct spanning three months which is said to have caused fear or alarm.

He told police of the midday bail breach that he'd been in bed 'all day' and had walked to Gourock station 'to get some fresh air'.

But McCullough told the court he'd gone to wish a pal who works in the ticket office a Merry Christmas.

Asked by prosecutor John Penman why he didn't tell the police about this, he said: "They caught me unaware."

Mr Penman said: "So both civilian witnesses have lied through their teeth, is that your position?"

McCullough, who has been remanded in custody since December 27, replied: "Yes."

Sheriff Joseph Hughes found McCullough guilty and further remanded him in custody for a background report and an electronic tagging assessment until February 12.

Defence lawyer Gerry Keenan said: "He does have a record that is difficult to mitigate."

McCullough, of Shore Street in Gourock, is due to stand trial on the stalking allegation in March.