A repeat sex offender who snatched a young girl up off the street and then dumping her in a wheelie bin has been sentenced to life in jail.

Imran Khan, 34, of Pendle Street, Accrington pleaded guilty to kidnapping the victim with the intention to commit a sexual offence.

Khan bundled the victim into the boot of his car in broad daylight in Burnley on March 26 before driving four miles to an ‘isolated’ location and exposing himself to her and inciting her to commit a sexual act.

The victim told police officers how Khan had dumped her in a wheelie bin after the ‘terrifying’ ordeal. She was found shortly after wandering the streets ‘in a distressed state’ by children of a similar age, who took her to their parent’s.

The alarm was then raised and police established that she had been driven from Burnley to Hapton.

Examination of CCTV established that Khan had abducted her earlier this year in Burnley to an isolated lane in Hapton. Khan was arrested on March 28 and charged.

Subsequent examination of Khan’s black Vauxhall Astra revealed fibres from the victim’s clothes were present in the boot and there were also two diamantes from the victim’s sandals.

Khan pleaded guilty to kidnap, kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence and breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order at Preston Crown Court on September 21.

Khan had previously been jailed for nine years in 2009 for the abduction and rape of a girl. He was released in 2013.

Speaking after Khan’s guilty plea, DI Jim Elston of Lancashire Police said that the victim had shown ‘tremendous courage’ during the course of the investigation.

He said: “I want to praise the victim who has show great courage throughout the investigation and what must have been a terrifying ordeal.

“She was playing on her bike on March 26 when Khan engaged her in conversation. He asked her to help him recover a ball from underneath his car.

“When she was in close proximity he put her in the boot. He then drove for four miles to Hapton and down an isolated lane.

“Khan took her out of the boot and incited her to him. They are there for about two minutes, and then he drives up to Hapton with the victim in the boot and turns into a residential estate. At this point the young girl is put into a wheelie bin.

“She finds a way out and child witnesses find her in a very distressed state.”

DI Elston said that the abduction to the victim being found occurred in a 20 minute window.

He said: “This was a major incident of kidnapping of a six year old girl, a very serious offence.

“We were aware of Khan due to his previous offence, looking at CCTV we identified the vehicle and Khan. We arrested him on March 28 with circumstantial evidence and subsequent forensic evidence was key in this case.”