A peeping Tom who spied on customers in the toilets of a branch of Costa Coffee using a tiny camera hidden in a broken tile has been spared jail.

Darren Garlish of Buttercup Close, Wokingham, admitted one count of voyeurism and two others of installing video equipment in a private place without consent.

The father-of-three had been visiting the cafe almost daily for a month but the store manager became suspicious when he went to use the bathroom and spotted the camera lens on June 4 this year. 

The manager dialled 999 after he started to take apart the cistern and found wires behind a wooden shelf.

Garlish was still sitting facing the toilet and appeared to be filming on his mobile when police arrived.

The 48-year-old was arrested at the scene and told officers: "I'm glad you caught me, everything you need is in a 8GB disk in my car."

Police found nine videos which showed members of the public going in and out of the toilet.

There were also 11 videos of a young girl in school uniform, with a view up her skirt as she got into Garlish's car.

As well as the films made in the cafe, 11 videos showed the legs of two women as they sat in his car, some of which included their underwear, dating back to February.

Prosecutor Lisa Goddard said: "When arrested, he said he did it for an adrenaline rush. He said in the first interview he did not know it was illegal but he knew it was morally wrong. He initially denied sexual gratification and said the camera was used on his bike."

But defending Ayo Abraham-Bello argued Garlish's behaviour was influenced by his struggle with bi-polar disorder.

He said: "While this does not excuse his behaviour his mental health difficulties most likely impacted his judgement.

"These offences were not sexually motivated, he either watched little or none of the footage.

"He has lost everything - his marriage, his relationship with his children, his job."

Sentencing Garlish at Reading Crown Court, Judge Grainger said: "In relation to the location of the offence, this was the last place in the world where customers would have imagined this kind of thing was going on.

"These were disgusting offences which have blotted your good record."

Garlish was given a total sentence of 42 weeks, suspended for 18 months, on the condition he undertakes 35 days of rehabilitation treatment.

He was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the Sex Offenders Register.