FEARS have been raised for children's safety at River Park Leisure Centre after a paedophile was convicted of spying on families in the changing rooms.

Stephen Humphreys, 47, was handed a community order earlier this month and banned from the centre after admitting to watching people undress under cubicle doors.

Councillors called for tougher security measures at a meeting on Thursday after it emerged no changes have been made since his arrest over a year ago.

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Cllr Jan Warwick said: "At River Park Leisure Centre the reception is very open, as you're aware, and unless you look particularly dodgy they don't tend to challenge you as you walk in.

"Should it be time, perhaps, to have a controlled entry system there at River Park, as most other leisure centres do?"

Portfolio holder for environment and wellbeing Cllr Frank Pearson said: "The security of people in these circumstances is something that's very much in our mind.

"[Humphreys] was actually caught by the security system that is in place."

He added: "The staff at River Park are well trained in this. They know what they're looking for and anyone acting suspiciously is asked to leave the premises. Other than putting cameras in the changing rooms, I don't know what else you can do.

"It is difficult to supervise all areas of the leisure centre where people have phones and other devices capable of taking photographs."

As reported by the Chronicle earlier this month, Humphreys, a father of five from Thornhill, Southampton, was spotted and chased by a doctor who was targeted alongside his wife and two-year-old daughter in September 2014.

The peeping tom broke free but was caught and arrested by police shortly afterwards.

Humphreys admitted one count of voyeurism and asked for two other similar offences to be taken into consideration.

He also admitted eight counts of making indecent images of children, found by police on his home computer. The judge jail would provide little treatment for his offending.

Other councillors suggested even tougher measures to keep predators out of River Park.

Cllr Eileen Berry said: "It's so easy for someone to infiltrate into the changing areas.

"I'm talking about something a little more a security-minded by sectioning off those areas, away from males completely.

"Our children are at risk."

Cllr Pearson said: "Males do take children into the centre. Not every male is a paedophile, you know."

The Chronicle has approached centre operator Places for People for comment.