A POOLE man used a mirror to spy on a mother and her 10-year-old daughter as they got changed in the next cubicle at the Dolphin Swimming Pool.

Steven Brady, 29, of Rozelle Road, Parkstone, was given a community rehabilitation order, put on the sex offenders' register, ordered to attend therapy sessions, banned from being around children or visiting swimming pools and ordered to pay £34 costs.

But this isn't yet another call for men like Brady to be castrated or banged up for life. It may well be that the court got the balance between punishment and treatment to avoid the risk of re-offending just right - time will tell.

What struck me most about this sordid tale was the fact that Brady was only caught after leisure centre bosses "upgraded" their closed-circuit TV facilities by installing an additional 10 cameras, some hidden.

Which begs the question: are unsuspecting members of the public happy with those in positions of authority invading their privacy in such a way?

When you go swimming, are you aware that a complete stranger could well be watching you undress, and we're not just talking about convicted voyeurs here?

And how many secret cameras are justified to bring just one man like Brady to justice?

CCTV cameras are so widespread now that they're becoming almost invisible.

They're in car parks, shops and offices and on buildings and lamp posts.

They're supposed to be a deterrent, yet why is it that so many people claim not to feel safe any more? And why is it that, even with so many cameras, such a small percentage of crimes are actually solved and perpetrators punished?

First published: Sept 14