A man caught filming women's bottoms in a bustling city centre has been banned from carrying a camera in public.

Jobless Andrew Mackie, 33, faces up to five years in jail if he repeats his actions of August 6, when -- at the height of last summer's heat wave -- he roamed York Railway Station, the city's shopping centre and Museum Gardens, video recorder in hand.

York magistrates saw the 24-minute film he made, in which the camera repeatedly focused on women out shopping or visiting the city.

Prosecutor David Tucker said that none of the women consented to the filming, and that Mackie also made written notes such as "brown mini skirt, white knickers" and "grey skirt, black knickers".

His filming ended when he fled from police, alerted by shop security staff.

Officers found him hiding in a restaurant's toilets.

After reading that a probation officer considered Mackie likely to re-offend, despite him undergoing intensive rehabilitation, magistrates made him subject to a criminal antisocial behaviour order (CRASBO) to protect the public.

The order bans him from possessing any kind of camera including mobile phones or other object capable of making video recordings in public.

"I understand, but I don't agree with it," Mackie told the Bench after they announced the order and a two-year community rehabilitation order, both imposed for his behaviour.

After the magistrates had left court, he said he would appeal.

He is now considering his options.

Unemployed Mackie, of Oxbridge Lane, Stockton, pleaded guilty to a public order offence.

He has previous convictions for similar actions elsewhere in the North of England and for indecent assault and is on the sex offenders' register until June 2006.

His solicitor, Richard Minion, told the court that Mackie was making progress in reducing his offending and getting medical help.