THE father of a sex pest caught spying on a naked girl at Burnley's St Peter's Leisure Centre has blamed the communal changing rooms.

Abdul Razaq spoke out as his son was facing possible jail, and claimed the mixed facilities had encouraged "vulnerable" young people like his son Mohammed Gulfraz, 21, who has learning difficulties, to act inappropriately.

He said the communal changing rooms decision had proved a "total disaster".

After the case of Gulfraz first came to light, Burnley Council bosses said they were to re-introduce single sex changing rooms at the Church Street centre. It was the second case of voyerism at the leisure facility.

Father-of-six Mr Razaq said his son, who had a previous conviction for indecent behaviour on police premises, needed help.

Burnley magistrates, who had read a psychiatric report on the defendant, agreed and adjourned sentence until May 6 for a second medical report and to look at the possibility of making a hospital order.

Razaq, of Colne Road, Burnley, had earlier admitted observing another person doing a private act - an offence of voyeurism - on January 14.

Mr Razaq spoke of his sorrow and upset over the St Peter's incident and said he had consulted the family's doctor to get his son referred for specialist psychiatric assistance.

He said the decision to put in mixed changing facilities should never have been passed.

The takeaway owner said: "I think Burnley Council has made the biggest error in my opinion.

"For young men it is a difficult situation, especially if somebody is not well.

"There are other people in Burnley, probably in the same state as Mohammed and they are vulnerable.

"If there had been separate changing rooms, this could not have happened."

David Hartley, prosecuting, had told the court how at 5.15pm the 17-year-old victim got into a cubicle with her boyfriend, saw the top of someone's head in the cubicle next door and at first thought it might be a tall person.

She then looked up and saw a man looking over the top of the cubicle. He told her :"Sorry love, I was looking over there," and pointed to the showers. The girl, who was very upset, told a staff member and police were called.

Mr Hartley said Razaq had 16 previous convictions, including one for exposing himself and committing a sex act in front of a cell detention officer at Burnley Police Station in August 2006.

Dylan Bradshaw, defending, said the case was very difficult and sensitive. Razaq's previous conviction demonstrated a proclivity perhaps towards such behaviour and showed how disinhibited he was in a controlled environment, Mr Bradshaw said.

Mick Cartledge, Burnley Council's director of community services, said that 'design was not an excuse for unacceptable behaviour'.

He said: "Hundreds of thousands of people use them properly and without incident up and down the country, including in neighbouring areas such as Pendle and Blackburn."