A MAN who took pictures up female shoppers' skirts told police it was 'a bit of fun' with his camera.

John Leonard Ellis has been told to complete a sex offenders' course after putting a camera on a stand inside a grey satchel and swinging it under the skirts of women shopping in Chester city centre.

He was first spotted by CCTV operators on May 9 when they saw him take photos under the skirt of a Marks & Spencer employee.

The former Chronice graphics artist, who retired in 2005, deleted the photos from the camera but was caught when CCTV operators at Marks & Spencer on Foregate Street saw him repeat the offence on May 17 and alerted police.

Officers identified him from the CCTV footage and arrested him at his home in Seahill Road, Saughall on May 24.

The 52-year-old said he took the photos for his own gratification.

He told police: 'It was just a bit of fun with my camera.'

Yesterday (Thursday) he appeared in Chester Magistrates' Court to be sentenced for the two counts of outraging public decency by behaving in an indecent manner on May 9 and May 17.

He also admitted taking pictures up women's skirts as they shopped in Marks & Spencer in Foregate Street, WH Smith and B&Q on three further occasions between March-May this year.

Defending, Ceri Evans said: 'I would like to offer the court my client's sincere apologies and great shame for what he has done.'

Magistrates sentenced Ellis to a 36-month supervision order, which will require him to complete a sex offenders' group work project. He was also ordered to pay £60 costs.

Det Sgt Barry Brown, of Chester Police Inner Investigation Team, said: 'I would like to reassure members of the public coming to Chester that if they do become victims of crime we have a very good chance of finding the perpetrators through our CCTV system.'