FORMER Accrington Stanley mascot Alan Smith is considering cutting up his beloved team shirt after being given the red card by the club.

The former Stan the Monkey mascot has been asked to stay away from both home and away games after admitting a child sex offence last week.

Smith, 51, of Carter Street, Accrington, made the gruelling 370-mile, eight-hour round trip to Cambridge on Saturday only to be turned away by stewards.

And the club has written to "respectfully ask" him to stay away from the Interlink Express Stadium.

Smith said: "I feel very annoyed about it. I am more hurt than anything else as I have been watching Accring-ton Stanley for 15 years and have supported the club through thick and thin.

"I do not want to cause any further embarassment to the club so I have agreed to stay away for the time being.

"I feel the only reason the case has appeared so prominently in the newspapers is because I used to be the mascot.

"It is unfortunate that the club has been dragged through the mud for something it had nothing to do with."

Smith was sentenced to six months imprisonment but as he had already served five-and-a-half months in custody while awaiting trial, he was freed immediately.

Burnley Crown Court heard how he prodded a 14-year-old girl's bottom with a pool cue in a pub.

He later followed her into the kitchen and turned off the lights, asking her if she was afraid of the dark.

He then pulled up the top of her knickers and made a comment about their colour.

A further five charges against him were dropped and another was allowed to lie on the file.

Smith said this week: "I went to the Cambridge game and they let me in through the turnstiles but I was then manhandled by a steward.

"I was approached by a policeman who informed me that I would not be allowed into the ground.

"I have no idea how they got to know about it.

"I went and sat outside to wait for my lift home because I had nothing else to do.

"I felt very angry about it as I was cleared of six charges and have already served my time for the other."

Smith insisted he was not a pervert and said his offence was at the lowest end of the indecency scale.

Rob Heys, chief executive of Accrington Stanley, said: "We have spoken to Alan and we have agreed he should stay away from home games for the time being.

"This isn't us judging him because that is for the court to do, but we didn't feel it was appropriate for him to come back to the ground straightaway.

"We have had a lot of bad press over this and we now just want to draw a line under it and get on with playing football."

He added that the decision to ban Smith from the match at Cambridge United was not taken by Accrington Stanley.