A PERVERT who secretly filmed women students in a Birmingham University gym changing room has been jailed for 18 months.

Martin Potter, of Ottawa Tower, Murrell Close, Edgbaston, had previously admitted charges of theft, fraud, voyeurism and outraging public decency.

The 35-year-old, who worked in the catering industry, was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and banned from possessing recording equipment at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday.

The court heard that he pretended to speak on his mobile phone as he hid behind lockers and filmed the women at the gym.

He also filmed teenagers a bus stop and was heard commenting: “Lots of sexy girls between 13 and 15.”

And, the court heard, he took footage of women on trains and had tried to take an “up skirt” shot too.

Police discovered the disturbing footage when they visited Potter’s home while investigating the theft of a student’s purse from the gym while she did weight training.

It contained her credit and debit cards and one had been used by Potter to set up a direct debit for him to receive a sex channel on his TV.

Judge Murray Creed said Potter’s offence was “a significant invasion of privacy for the young ladies concerned”.

Richard Franck, prosecuting, said it was believed Potter’s DNA was found behind the lockers at the university gym.

Mark Jackson, defending, said there was no suggestion that the women filmed by Potter in the gym had been in a state of undress.

He said the other clips were all of teenagers and went on: “In effect what he was filming was no more than anyone could have seen with their own eyes.”

He added Potter was isolated from his family, suffered from a depressive illness and had a history of self-harming.

*Since publication Mr Potter appealed his sentence. The appeal was upheld and the sentence reduced to a 12 month supervision order. Mr Potter was put on the sex offenders register for 10 years when he was first sentenced and remains on the list.