A PE teacher spied through a peephole on young girl pupils undressing in a changing room at a Bolton school.

Stuart Curren, aged 34, watched the girls getting dressed and undressed through a small hole in a partition wall.

Curren, who taught PE and geography at Mount St Joseph RC High School, Farnworth, mainly spied on girl GCSE pupils aged 15 and 16-years-old, a court was told.

But the teaching career of the "peeping Tom" ended in ruins when another teacher spotted him looking through the peep-hole.

And as Curren, of Chorley New Road, Bolton, appeared at Bolton Crown Court and admitted an offence of outraging public decency, Judge Clement Goldstone QC told him: "you are a disgrace to the teaching profession".

The teacher, who has now resigned from the Roman Catholic secondary school, also admitted down-loading images of semi naked youngsters from the internet and possessing indecent photographs.

Curren was given a three year Community Rehabilitation Order on the condition that he attends a sex offenders programme.

Imposing the sentence, Judge Goldstone said he felt that treatment was more appropriate than a prison sentence.

He said: "You have pleaded guilty to a series of offences which suggest you are a disgrace to the teaching profession but also reveal a dangerous obsession with sexual matters particularly in relation to young girls.

"You deliberately exploited young girls by down-loading and keeping pictures of them for your own sexual gratification.

"You also indulged your perversion over a period of time by watching young female pupils through a peephole."

The judge told him: "You acknowledge that you are not normal -- they are your words, not mine.

"Untreated in prison, you may represent a greater danger to the public than if you are helped in the community."

The court was told that Curren has now left the teaching profession and works as a builder.

Beverley Lunt, prosecuting, said Curren was discovered by another a teacher at the school who was on duty in the dining room at lunchtime on April 30. She saw the curtains on the stage moving, and, when she went to investigate, spotted her colleague leaning forward with his head against a partition wall.

Curren jumped back in surprise and the teacher could see a small hole in the wall with girls in the changing rooms on the other side.

The court heard Curren claimed he was having a nervous breakdown and he was immediately suspended from duty.

The police were contacted on May 9 and officers seized computer equipment from his home.

Mrs Lunt said Curren had admitted that at times he had been sexually aroused when looking through the hole in the wall.

She added: "Curren said it was a compulsion which had started the year before. He became involved in porn because he was a thrill seeker, particularly because it threatened his employment prospects.

"He claims he found the hole by chance when he went to check the stage area. He mainly looked at female GCSE pupils from Year 11 on a Monday afternoon."

The court heard Curren had worked at the Greenland Road school for nine years.

Phil Martin, defending, said without treatment, it was likely that Curren would re-offend.

He added: "He has recognised that his behaviour was wrong and is willing to change. He is very ashamed and has lost his job.

"There is no suggestion that he distributed the images or used them for commercial gain. While they are distasteful, they show nudity and not sexual activities.

"The incidents at the school show his behaviour had escalated but the victims were unaware they were being watched."

Curren was also ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.

Girls shocked over 'peeping Tom' shame

GIRL pupils at Mount St Joseph RC School had no idea that they were being watched by a male teacher through a hole in the wall.

And, after the perverted "peeping Tom" activities of Stuart Curren were discovered by school chiefs, parents were informed he had left the school.

But they claim the school never officially informed them of the reasons why he had left.

Parents said Curren was popular with both staff and pupils.

A former female pupil, aged 20, who was taught by Curren, but did not wish to be named, said: "This has really shocked me because he always seemed such a decent, down to earth bloke and had a good rapport with the pupils.

"He seemed young compared to a lot of the other teachers, but that helped him to get on really well with all the lads and they loved being taught football by him.

"None of the girls felt threatened by him. This seems such a silly thing for a teacher to do and it's a shame for it to happen at such a good school."

A mother-of-three, who has a 13-year-old son at the school and lives in Moses Gate, said: "The only reason I found out what had happened was because my son came home and spoke about it.

"The school did write to us to say Mr Curren had resigned, but they didn't explain why.

"I was obviously surprised that a teacher had behaved like that, but I'm just glad it's been resolved.

"Nobody wants that sort of behaviour going on at a school. The whole thing sounds very sad for Mr Curren. He hadn't touched anyone and was only looking, but of course that is still unacceptable."

A spokesman from Bolton Council said: "We can confirm that a member of staff was suspended pending an investigation.

"He has now resigned from the school as of July 31. In keeping with our obligatory duty, a report has been submitted to the Teachers' Misconduct Team at the Department for Education and Skills."

Both the headteacher, Penny Walker, and the chairman of governors, Keith Harris, declined to comment.