A ‘PEEPING Tom’ who spied on a naked teenage girl in a Burnley leisure centre changing room is set to receive mental health treatment.

Mohammed Gulfraz Razaq, 22, who has previous convictions for indecency, had earlier had sentence adjourned whilst he was made the subject of a three month interim hospital order at Calderstones Hospital, Whalley.

Magistrates had ruled out jail. Medics at the hospital thought a full order was not necessary but that he should receive treatment within the community, Burnley Magistrates’ Court heard.

The defendant, of Colne Road, Burnley, had earlier admitted voyeurism on January 14 2008.

He was given an 18 month community order with 12 months mental health treatment.

He must also pay £200 compensation and was put on the Sex Offenders' Register for five years.

District Judge Peter Ward, who had read reports from a consultant psychiatrist and a clinical psych-ologist, said: "It seems to me you need help, which hopefully will stop this sort of thing happening and lead to a better life."

Andrew Robinson, prosecuting, told the court Razaq was at St Peter's Health and Leisure Centre when the offence took place.

The victim, who was 17 at the time, was there with her partner. They had been swimming and had seen the defendant earlier.

He had said hello to them although they did not know him and the victim thought he was staring at them.

Mr Robinson said the girl was in a changing cubicle in the mixed sex changing room and Razaq looked over the top of the cubicle from the cubicle next door. The girl was fully naked at the time. The defendant said he was sorry.

The teenager put a towel around her and went to alert staff.

She was left scared, upset and shocked by the defendant's behaviour.

The prosecutor added Razaq had two previous convictions for behaving indecen-tly on police premises.

For the defendant, Trevor Grice said he had co-operated fully with everything that had been asked of him.

He had not committed any more offences since.