ALCOHOLIC Ivan Arnold has been jailed for 30 months after being convicted of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl.Arnold, who was labelled "a dirty old man" during his trial at Ipswich Crown Court, touched the girl's bottom and tried to lift up her top.

ALCOHOLIC Ivan Arnold has been jailed for 30 months after being convicted of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl.

Arnold, who was labelled "a dirty old man" during his trial at Ipswich Crown Court, touched the girl's bottom and tried to lift up her top.

The incident happened at Arnold's flat in Vernon Street, Ipswich where a number of young people had gathered to drink alcohol and smoke cannabis, the court heard.

Arnold denied two offences of indecent assault and was found guilty of one and cleared of the other. He admitted permitting his flat to be used for smoking cannabis.

During the trial Arnold admitted touching girls' bottoms and asking them to go to bed with him.

However he said that as he was impotent his suggestions were just "playful jest" and any bottom touching was merely a friendly pat.

After Arnold's conviction on one of the offences of indecency the court heard that in March 1997 he had been jailed for 12 months for indecently assaulting two schoolgirls in Landseer Park, Ipswich.

Lindsay Cox for Arnold said his client realised that he was going to prison if he was found guilty and had made arrangements for his dogs to be cared for in his absence.

In addition to 30 months jail sentence Arnold was ordered to sign on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.