A barman at a Canterbury pub has admitted sex charges after a secret ‘sting’ by an anti-paedophile group.

Simon Burrin, 37, who worked at Limes in Rosemary Lane, will now be sentenced in the New Year after admitting sexually grooming someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy to meet him.

It is believed to be one of the first cases involving vigilantes to be brought to Canterbury Crown Court.

Video: The moment Burrin was snared by paedophile hunters

Burrin, who now lives at a pub in Heathfield, East Sussex, was remanded on bail while probation reports are prepared to assertain what threat he poses in the community.

He admitted two charges of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

His arrest followed a covert operation carried out by paedophile hunters Internet Interceptors who claim he sent five indecent images which had been sent to the ‘fake’ schoolboy.

The incident took place at around 10.30pm on July 25 this year when the vigilantes confronted the member of staff as he worked behind the bar.

Five videos were then posted on the group’s Facebook page. In one, the barman says that he had only been intending on meeting the child for “cuddles”.

He is filmed saying: “I’m a silly boy, well, silly man really. I can’t explain it.”

Det Insp Rob Chitham of Kent Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: “Taking the law into your own hands can be dangerous and inevitably leads to the identity of the alleged paedophile being revealed, often on the basis of little or flawed information.

“This frequently leads to suspects being threatened and diverts significant police resources into protecting them.

“I would like to reassure the public that we proactively target this type of offence and work hard to gather evidence in a lawful manner that will stand up in court.”