AN innocent elderly resident has had her window smashed by vandals believed to be targeting a paedophile who avoided jail.

Police are investigating after a window at the home of an elderly Askam woman was smashed at around 10pm on Tuesday.

Neighbours believe the woman’s home in Steel Street was wrongly identified as the former house of Colin Jones who was convicted in July.

One neighbour said: “One of my neighbours has had her window put in by somebody wanting revenge on the recently convicted paedophile.”

Jones, 44, was arrested at his home in Steel Street in June and later pleaded guilty to inciting a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity; attempting to communicate with a 13-year-old girl for purposes of sexual gratification; and attempting to cause a child aged 13 to look at an image of a person engaging in sexual activity.

He was sentenced on August 28 and was handed a 12-month jail term suspended for two years despite his solicitor telling a court he expected a lengthy custodial sentence.

He was also ordered to complete a rehabilitation programme and was given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court heard in July how Jones was caught by paedophile hunters UK Database who tasked a group called Fleetwood Enforcers with confronting him.

Prosecutor Suzie Cavanagh told the court: “On March 7 he made contact with a female he believed to be a 13-year-old girl called Summer through an online dating site called Oasis.

“The girl was actually 25-year-old Chantelle from UK Datatbase.

“On April 23 he moved the conversation onto Facebook messenger... he sent her six videos of himself and 19 images.”

The court heard Fleetwood Enforcers live streamed the confrontation on Facebook where it was viewed 33,000 times in the first 24 hours.

Defence solicitor Maureen Fawcett said Jones’ home had been targeted in the days following his arrest.

"He expects to receive a lengthy custodial sentence and he can't go back to his address," the solicitor said, adding that his home had been targeted with a brick being thrown through his window following his arrest.

Anyone with information about the damage to the woman’s home in Steel Street is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.