A PERTH man arrested after being spotted feeding the birds in nothing but a back-to-front thong will be sentenced in March.

Perth Sheriff Court heard how David Batchelor’s inability to wear the skimpy item properly left his private parts clearly exposed.

Very little was left to the imagination of shocked onlookers near the 59-year-old’s home in the Muirton area last June.

A passing group of schoolchildren only missed being confronted with his private parts after he stepped behind a bush.

Neighbours spotted Batchelor in the common close at his home in Carnegie Place at around 3pm on June 7.

“They could clearly see he was wearing only a thong and that this appeared to be worn incorrectly, exposing his genitalia,” depute fiscal Hannah Kennedy told the court.

“He was seen to walk between the common close and the entrance and then to hide behind bushes when persons approached.

“A large group of schoolchildren passed the location at this time.”

Batchelor was then seen to disappear into his flat before returning to the close —still wearing the thong and still exposed.

Witnesses then contacted the police and officers quickly traced the accused.

“Officers considered him to be under the influence of alcohol, though not to excess,” Mrs Kennedy said.

“At that point he was naked from the waist up but was searched and found to still be wearing the thong.”

Batchelor told officers he had simply been feeding the birds a pie.

Asked about the presence of the schoolchildren, he told officers he had looked at the schoolgirls “like he looked at everyone else—because they’re bonnie.”

When officers pressed the accused about a potential sexual aspect to the offence he said, “If I was wanting to do that I would go down the town and get a whore.”

Batchelor admits that on June 7 he conducted himself in a disorderly manner by repeatedly and indecently walking between the common close at Carnegie Place and the public street while wearing only a thong.

The charge states that, as the thong was on the wrong way round, his private parts were exposed and he there- by committed a breach of the peace.

Solicitor Mike Tavendale asked for sentence to be deferred as Batchelor is currently at Ninewells Hospital for surgery.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis agreed to defer sentence until March 26.