Third pervert strikes at Burnley leisure centre

8:49pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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By Peter Magill »

A THIRD pervert has struck at the St. Peter's Centre in Burnley.

Police have launched an appeal to find a man in his late 30s who is accused to trying to spy on a 13-year-old boy in his changing room cubicle.

The man is thought to have followed the boy, and a friend, around the complex, while they had a swim.

And as the boy got changed afterwards, he says he spotted the man looking underneath his cubicle.

The incident is the third incident of voyeurism at the Burnley centre in recent months, but the first involving same-sex spying.

Back in February magistrates heard how a 21-year-old man had stood on a chair to peer at girls in a communal area of the changing rooms.

In another case a 23-year-old man was convicted of voyeurism after he used a mirror to look underneath a cubicle at two 12-year-old girls.

These cases prompted Burnley Council leisure chiefs to rethink the communal changing arrangements at St Peter's - and review a proposed mixed-sex changing room plan for the soon-to-be-refurbished Padiham Leisure Centre.

Burnley council leader Gordon Birtwistle said: "We have done everything we can to try and prevent this kind of thing happening.

"If someone is determined to carry out these offences then there seems to be little that we can do."

Security guards, to deter future voyeurs, could not be deployed within the changing rooms for privacy reasons, he added.

Det Con Sheralyn Fenton, of Burnley CID, who has been involved with the previous two cases, is leading the investigation into the latest incident.

She said the victim had noticed the man watching them while he was enjoying a swim with friends at St Peter's.

"Around 2.10pm he has got out to have a shower and he says that while he was in a cubicle he notices a man looking underneath."

The man is said to be in his late 30s, with medium length light ginger or blonde hair, around 5ft 10ins or 5ft 11ins tall, with sharp facial features.

He was wearing a green fleece jacket, blue denim jeans and white trainers.

The man was also seen loitering outside the pharmacy, located in the front entrance of the centre, and is thought to have left at around 2.30pm.

The incident happened on Thursday, April 10, but police have only just released details.

People who can identify the man are asked to call DC Fenton on 01282 472144.