A man has been banned from all leisure centres in a local authority area after being caught filming a woman in a changing room. The incident occurred at a swimming pool in the North West of England, where the man used his mobile phone to record the victim over a cubicle partition.
The victim reported the incident to staff, who detained the man until police arrived. He was subsequently issued with a banning order preventing him from entering any leisure centre managed by the local council for a period of two years. The man, who has not been named, was also given a formal warning by police.
The case comes amid growing concerns over voyeurism in swimming facilities. Swim England has reported a 'significant increase' in incidents of filming in changing areas, with 48 cases recorded between January 2024 and February 2025. The majority occurred in mixed-sex changing villages, prompting calls for better segregation.
Swim England has now banned mobile phone use in all changing areas during competitions and urged clubs to create simple barrier systems to separate male and female changing spaces. The governing body warned that if current trends continue, the number of incidents could reach 84 in 2025.
Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies criticised the rise of mixed-sex changing facilities, describing them as 'a voyeur's paradise'. She called on Swim England to take stronger action to protect female athletes.
