A Wirral policeman has been convicted of meeting a 15-year-old girl following sexual grooming.

Simon Ferns, 42, who was a community beat officer in the Clatterbridge area, repeatedly shook his head in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court after the jury delivered their unanimous verdict.

During his week long trial the jury of six men and six women heard that the couple had been "infatuated with each other."

He sent the vulnerable teenager many text messages and the couple ended up in bed with her lying on top of him.

The offences came to light after the girl was reported missing from home - a night she had stayed in his bedroom.

Ferns, of Hurst Bank, Birkenhead, was further remanded on bail to await sentence on April 20. Two women supporters in the public gallery wept when he was convicted this afternoon.

Judge Robert Warnock asked his defence lawyer whether a psychiatric report should be ordered but she replied one was not necessary.

He ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared and also made an interim Sex Offenders Register order.

Miss Bernadette Baxter, defending, said, "He has no illusions about what the sentence will be."

Ferns denied the charge and claimed he had been trying to keep her on the straight and narrow and away from boys who wanted to sleep with her.

The jury heard that he met her when she was 13 years old when he told her off for making noise in the street.

On a day when he knew she should be in school he invited her round to his home and in another he asked her to tone down her texts to him as he might end up getting arrested.

Ferns was arrested on December 8, 2010 "when the balloon went up", a week after letting the girl sleep at his house.

Her friend told teachers she had got a lift home with an older man, and the police were notified.

Further questioned he admitted his behaviour had been "stupid" and "absolutely ridiculous" but said he he had not thought it through at the time.