A LIFEGUARD who photographed a naked woman with his mobile phone as she changed at a council swimming pool was jailed for four months.

But a judge suspended the sentence for a year after hearing Stefan Sinclair had deleted the image as soon as he took it because of his instant remorse.

Sinclair, 22, from Salford, was working as a leisure attendant at Worsley Pool, Walkden, when he put his phone under a unisex cubicle to photograph the woman who had just finished her swim. The victim told police she felt `upset, disgusted, and sick'.

Salford magistrates heard the incident happened in July last year, when the woman returned to the locker room and was getting out of her costume.

Jinny Sehra, prosecuting, said the woman let her towel drop to the floor when she saw a hand holding a phone appear under the cubicle. She had no doubt she was being filmed.

"She ran out of the cubicle with the towel wrapped around her with the intention of tackling the person, but they had disappeared," said Miss Shera.

The police were called and CCTV pictures showed that Sinclair had been in the vicinity of the cubicle.

When interviewed by police, Sinclair said he realised what he had done was wrong and that he taken the picture initially with the intention of using it for his own sexual gratification.

Marsha Myers, for Sinclair, said: "He feels deep remorse - significantly the image was deleted because the remorse set in straight away.

"He is being supported financially and emotionally by his family, who are deeply upset about this offence but stand by him, as does his partner."

Sinclair, of Border Brook Lane, Boothstown, was a lifeguard, fitness trainer and cleaner at the pool. He lost his job as a result of the incident.

Miss Myers said: "Despite this fall from grace, he has applied to join the Royal Air Force and has an interview next week. It is now his ambition to serve his country."

Deputy District Judge Hugh Edwards told Sinclair: "You abused a position of trust when working at the pool."

Sinclair, who pleaded guilty to a single charge of voyeurism, was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay his victim £250 compensation. He must also sign the Sex Offenders' Register.

Coun Barry Warner, of Salford council, said: "I would like to reassure customers that we will continue to take all reasonable action to prevent this type of action happening again.

"Staff must leave phones in lockers while they are on duty and are permitted to use them only in staff areas during breaks, or be are disciplined."