William John Hodgson, 44, positioned a remote control camera and monitor so he could peep on ladies in the WC in Fleetwood.

The married father-of-two, of Ingleway Avenue, Blackpool, was caught after a black box containing a monitor was spotted on a cistern in the adjoining gents' toilet, along with grey piping linked to a pinhole camera on the floor of the ladies' toilet.

Hodgson was jailed for 20 weeks at Preston Crown Court last month after pleading guilty to voyeurism. He was also banned from entering all ladies' public toilets or baby changing areas.

On Friday, however, he was freed on appeal at London's Criminal Appeal Court, after judges, Mr Justice Aikens and Mrs Justice Swift, quashed his sentence and imposed a three-year community rehabilitation order instead.

Giving the judgment of the court, Mrs Justice Swift said the offence was not serious enough for the jail sentence imposed because he did not record the women using the toilet, or share footage with anyone else.

The judge said: "It is submitted that Hodgson committed a basic offence, similar to spying through a hole in a changing room wall, for his own gratification.

"It was a continuing offence with a high degree of technical sophistication.

"But we don't consider, having regard to his previous good character and guilty plea, that the sentence of 20 months was necessary.

"He has now served the equivalent of six weeks in custody.

"No doubt that has brought home to him the serious consequences of what he did and will prevent any repetition," the judge concluded.

Hodgson said the camera and monitor were originally bought as part of his hobby as model boat enthusiast.

The public conveniences involved have not been named.

The judge ordered that, as a condition of his community rehabilitation, Hodgson must attend a community sex offenders' programme.