A 19 year old Albanian refugee who molested two teenaged girls in a Hounslow park, was this week jailed for 18 months and told to sign on the sex offenders' register for the next ten years.

But the judge at Isleworth Crown Court did not recommend the deportation of Ardian Laci, 19. However, Judge Andrew McDowall did say "The ultimate decision is with the Home Office and I am persuaded that they know how you have been behaving since your arrival and that may affect their decision and I am not saying I am in favour of your being allowed to remain in this country".

Laci, who lost most of his family in Albania has indefinite leave to remain until October 2005. However, he has been living on benefits and was in line for council accommodation when he appeared at the court for trial and conviction.

Living at a bail address in Silverline Street, North Woolwich, he denied two charges of indecently assaulting two 14 year old schoolgirls in Inwood Park on May 15 last year.

The girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave evidence by video-link and told the court they went to the park after school and "noticed a group of youths, either Kosovans or Albanians".

"One of the girls recognised one of them as a boy called Zan. And she recognised this defendant as a boy who had tried to speak to her in the local High Street," said prosecutor, Alison Robins.

"The two youths came over to the girls and the defendant repeatedly asked one of them for a kiss. She initially refused but in the end gave him what she called 'a peck on the cheek'. The defendant dragged the girl to some nearby bushes. He picked her up and deposited her on the ground and positioned himself on top of her and touched her breasts under her clothing," said counsel.

He further molested her, causing a bruise to her neck, before she could escape and as she tried to run off with her friend, he grabbed the friend's breast as well.

This was seen by two women walking dogs in the park and they waited with the girls who called the police on their mobile phones.

The police came to the park but the defendant was not arrested that day.

He was arrested a month later when the first girl saw him in Hounslow and called the police.

He denied being involved in the incident in the park and said it must have been a case of mistaken identity. But both girls picked him out of an identity parade.

Jailing him, Judge McDowall said: "I note that you still deny the offences and I therefore have to sentence you on the basis that although there are many worse cases than this, it is still a very serious matter and one that can only be met with a custodial sentence.

"The assault on the first girl was undoubtedly more serious than that on the second but I do not propose to treat them as separate incidents.

"It is really one example of very bad behaviour with two victims."

A CALL for Hounslow police not to forget the area's parks was voiced this week, after a London Assembly survey showed that 39 per cent of women felt either 'a little' or 'very' unsafe in their local parks, and that 12 per cent never use them.

Seema Malhotra, the Labour Party candidate for the London Assembly, called for the new police officers now working in Hounslow not to forget the area's parks.

"The survey revealed that the vast majority of women who took part want to see regular foot patrols in local parks by police, community wardens or park attendants. We now have record numbers of Police on our streets: I hope that they can make women fel safer in using Hounslow's open spaces. This is not just a matter for Police - but CIP also."