A 40-year-old man has been given a three-year community order after secretly filming up women’s skirts with a spy camera.

Richard Potter, of Tunstall Green, Tunstall, near Woodbridge, was caught after putting the camera in a shopping basket to film a woman in Tesco in Martlesham.

He was sentenced at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court after previously admitting outraging public decency on or before November 26, 2015.

Prosecutor David Bryant read out a victim statement from the woman.

In it she said: “He has crossed the line and my dislike of him is so intense. He is pathetic. I have no sympathy for him. I don’t hate, but I’m so angry with what he’s done. Why this person did what he did is quite beyond me.

“When your body is violated in any way this is the lowest of the low and no one has the right to do this to anyone.”.

Sentencing Potter, District Judge Celia Dawson said: “It’s clearly had a lasting effect on this lady.”

Mr Bryant said Potter had gone to the Tesco superstore on November 17, 2015. A security officer viewing CCTV noticed him acting suspiciously and saw him follow a woman.

Potter was seen to loiter in an aisle where the woman was. He put something into a shopping basket and placed it on the floor, under her skirt.

The security officer requested the CCTV images to be downloaded and saw what he was doing, but Potter had left by this time. Potter was arrested a few days later after returning to the store. His car registration was taken and passed to police.

When Potter was interviewed on November 26, 2015, he told officers he had chosen his victim because she had nice legs. He also told them he had a sexual urge to record up women’s skirts. More images were found on Potter’s computer.

Mr Bryant said: “Suffice to say the computer was examined and found to contain voyeuristic videos and there seems to be various unidentified females’ skirts. Eleven samples were downloaded.”

In addition to his community order Potter was ordered to carry out 180 hours’ unpaid work and must attend a sexual offending behaviour programme, with a rehabilitation requirement for up to 60 days. He must also pay £85 costs and £85 to the victims’ fund.