A VOYEURISTIC air force flight sergeant who used a camera to film up unsuspecting woman’s dresses at Royal Ascot has been handed a community order.

Faringdon father-to-be Andrew Hack used his camera to film behind him as women sat around having picnics on the grass during the world-famous race meeting, a court heard.

Pamela Hayre-Wakefield, prosecuting, said the married 44-year-old RAF flight sergeant used a high-quality lens to zoom in on the women, capturing images of their underwear as they stood up and sat down on June 19.

She told East Berkshire Magistrates’ Court, in Slough, the seven-time Afghanistan war serviceman, of Carters Crescent, was spotted by security guards.

Police found 82 video files on the device’s memory card which showed upskirt shots of about 13 different women.

Daniella Waddoup, defending, said of Hack: “He openly admits he did not deal with the stress appropriately, but he was facing very trying circumstances at home, in that his pregnant wife had been told there would be an 80 per cent chance their first child would not be carried.”

Hack admitted one count of outraging public decency and a panel of magistrates chaired by Katherine Wheatley handed Hack a three year community order, and ordered him to complete the Thames Valley Sex Offenders’ Group Work Programme for 40 days over a six month period.

Ms Wheatley said: “You are of good character and have noted your exemplary service for this country for the last 26 years. However, this has been going on for the last 20 years and has escalated from taking photos to filming.”