Luke Mallaband, 23 (pictured outside court), admitted six voyeurism offences

A man who secretly filmed women undressing, showering and going to the toilet at a university has been spared jail.

Luke Mallaband placed recording equipment at locations around the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, including at student accommodation and within the library toilets.

The 23-year-old was caught when a woman discovered she was being filmed and reported it to police, Norwich Magistrates' Court heard on Thursday.

Former UEA student Mallaband, who is unemployed, admitted six voyeurism offences at an earlier hearing.

He has been banned from all female and gender neutral public toilets for three years, given a curfew and a community order.

Louise Mantell-Sayer, prosecuting, said a woman discovered recording equipment in a gender neutral toilet in the UEA library.

'She noticed a white plastic bag and it appeared to have a hole in one corner,' said Ms Mantell-Sayer.

It contained food and drink items and a box with a hole cut out, inside which was an iPhone 6 on record mode.

A total of 38 voyeurism videos were discovered on Mallaband's phone, filmed between July 2013 and February 2016.

A probation report described Mallaband as a 'high risk of posing serious harm to females'.

In a victim personal statement the woman said she felt 'disgusted' and 'violated' by what happened.

'She asked herself if a person was sick enough to film random people in the toilet, what else would he be sick enough to do,' said Ms Mantell-Sayer.

The woman said she was concerned about 'what the offender would do in the future if this offence was not dealt with at the time'.

Mallaband placed recording equipment at locations around the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich (pictured) including at student accommodation and within the library toilets

A probation report described Mallaband (pictured outside court), as a 'high risk of posing serious harm to females'

The woman reported what she found to the library's helpdesk.

'Mr Mallaband attends the desk, explains it's his bag and his phone, with Mr Mallaband agreeing to delete the videos,' said Ms Mantell-Sayer.

'He said his phone had been hacked and goes into record by itself. He said he had also been unwell. He's handed everything back to him by the service advisor.

'It's only after the woman goes home and thinks about what's happened that she makes a complaint to the UEA and to police.'

Dave Foulkes, mitigating, said Mallaband, from Walsall, had no previous convictions and had referred himself to a mental health team in the Midlands.

Chairman of the bench Jean Bonnick banned Mallaband from all gender neutral and female public toilets for three years and imposed a six-month curfew from 7pm to 7am daily.

'If females are at risk, it may be more likely to be in the hours of darkness so we are using that,' said Ms Bonnick.

Mallaband was also handed a three-year community order, must complete a 200-hour sex offending behaviour programme and pay £170 costs.

Mallaband was handed a three-year community order, a 200-hour sex offending behaviour programme and £170 costs at Norwich Magistrates' Court (pictured)

When the toilets were installed at UAE in September last year, some students voiced concerns about the safety of female students using them.

One student wrote on the university's Facebook page: 'On a busy LCR night these toilets feel pretty unsafe, especially for women.

'Are there any precautions in place to keep them a safe place for everyone?'

A university spokesman said unisex toilets had been on campus for several years to provide sufficient toilet facilities to meet demand.

A spokesman added: 'The university puts the safety of its staff, students and visitors first and cases such as this are extremely rare. These were the criminal actions of one individual, acting alone, and no reflection on UEA's secure and welcoming campus environment.

'We condemn this behaviour in the strongest terms.

'We acted promptly and decisively as soon as the allegations came to light and worked very closely with the police on the investigation. Luke Mallaband immediately withdrew from his course and was permanently excluded from campus.

'Support has been offered to anyone distressed by this case and there will also be an awareness-raising programme on campus.