A MAN who watched two teenage girls under the dividing partition of a changing room door at Waves has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Blackburn magistrates heard that two girls aged 16 and 17 were standing naked in a changing cubicle at the Blackburn swimming pool when they looked down to see a man looking up at them under the partition.

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The court heard the girls had seen the man watching them while they were in the pool and noticed him following them around.

Kuwait national Mahmudbahar Al-Anizi later admitted to police he had been attracted to the two girls, prosecutors said.

Al-Anizi, 30, of the Islington Motel, Great Bolton Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to observing a person doing a private act.

He was sentenced to six weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £50 compensation to each of the girls and £165 costs.

He was also put on the Sex Offender Register for seven years.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the girls had gone to the swimming pool at about 3.30pm.

They had noticed the defendant was following them and staring at them.

“When they went to get changed they realised they had forgotten their towels and were standing naked in a cubicle chatting while they dried off,” said Miss Allan.

“One of them noticed a shadow on the floor and they looked down to see a pair of eyes looking up at them.”

The girls screamed for help and dressed quickly and Al-Anizi was detained by pool staff and the police called.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client had been drinking on the day and had been attracted to the two girls.

“He knows he has done wrong and that he must be punished for it,” said Mr Taylor.

“He is adamant it was a one-off incident while he was under the influence of drink.”

Waves water centre closed on Sunday, February 22.

The new pool at the £13.5million Blackburn Sports and Leisure Centre opened its doors to the public on March 9.