A SERIAL paedophile who repeatedly groped a young boy has been locked up indefinitely after being branded a danger to the public.

Former football referee Michael Jalland, 54, has now been convicted three times of offences against boys he met in pool and snooker halls.

He will serve a minimum two years before a parole board will decide when he is safe to return to the community.

The former Bournemouth resident had admitted five specimen counts of indecent assault at a Southampton social club.

Members noticed how he was keen to play pool with the victim, getting close to the boy as he helped him play shots before touching him.

Jalland, living in Chamberlayne Road, Eastleigh, was convicted at Southampton Crown Court.

Paul Dugdale, prosecuting, said a woman who came into the premises saw Jalland and knew he had previous convictions.

That led to the boy's mother asking the victim if anything had happened and he admitted it had.

Jalland in interview accepted it had happened between 20 and 30 times.

Judge Derwin Hope said the probation report assessed Jalland as being a high risk of causing harm to children and sexual reconviction.

Jalland was first convicted at Bournemouth Crown Court in 1998 of indecently assaulting boys aged seven, eight and 11.

He offered one victim 50p to pacify him.

He was was jailed for 15 months, and thrown out of his job refereeing local games for Hampshire Football Association.

During the trial, police told the judge he was seen near playing fields and swimming pools.

He was also jailed for another two years for committing more offences while serving part of his sentence living in the community, in Southampton Street, Southamp-ton, in 2000.

He met an 11-year-old boy playing pool and indecently assaulted him after luring him into a public lavatory.

Jalland was arrested after the boy's mother recognised him from a Daily Echo court report.