»A man who was caught secretly filming gym users taking a shower by hiding his iPhone in a shampoo bottle, has been fined £500.

Omar Saadi Al-Atraqchi, 41, from Holloway, pleaded guilty to four counts of voyeurism at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.

Two of the charges related to incidents which took place at PureGym, in Mercers Road, Upper Holloway, last month.

Confronted

The court heard how Al-Atraqchi placed an empty shampoo bottle containing his mobile phone under a shower cubicle partition in an attempt to film men showering.

On the second occasion he was confronted by the victim in front of a member of staff, but he left the gym before police arrived.

Al-Atraqchi, of Statham Court, Tollington Way, was later arrested and videos downloaded from his phone showed a number of films of men showering at various locations. Two further voyeurism charges, which took place at unknown locations, were also brought against him.

The offences at PureGym took place on March 7 and 13.

Judges ordered Al-Atraqchi to pay £500 in fines plus £85 court costs and a £25 victim surcharge during the hearing last Thursday.

Det Con Darren Rose, from Islington CID, said: “Invading people’s privacy in the fashion that Al-Atraqchi did is clearly wrong. He visited places with the sole aim to record men in intimate circumstances. If he hadn’t been caught, I am sure he would have carried on committing these offences. I hope he has learnt his lesson.”

A spokesman from PureGym said security measures have since been stepped-up at their facility.

“We have clear rules in all clubs that members are not to take any pictures while they are using the gym facilities and any member who is seen using a camera is immediately removed from the club and faces being banned,” he said.

“The member involved in this incident has been banned from all PureGyms for life.

The spokesman added: “This is the first incident of its kind at a PureGym. However, we have stepped up security screening and monitoring at the gym on Holloway Road and management are now doing additional checks of the changing rooms.”