A respectable pensioner was caught red-handed peeping at guests though the windows at the exclusive Cley Windmill B&B in north Norfolk, a court heard.

Raymond Newall, 67, from Town Yard, Cley, admitted three offences of attempted voyeurism between March 18 and 25 when he appeared before Norwich magistrates yesterday .

The court heard that Newall had been seeking sexual gratification and hoped to see guests at the B&B and restaurant, near Holt, either naked or having sex, when he peered through the windows,

But the court heard that, as there was no proof that he had actually seen anything through the windows, the charge he pleaded guilty to was attempted voyeurism.

The court heard that when Newall peeped he placed a chair he picked up from the hotel patio in front of the ground floor rooms he spied through.

At court Newall was handed a 3-year conditional discharge and must pay �1130 in compensation to the guests affected - who said their stays had been ruined by his peeping - and the hotel owner, who lost trade because of the incidents.

Prosecuting, Gwen Wallace said: 'This is a somewhat unusual case and one you are not faced with every day. The offence is described as attempted voyeurism and the location on all three occasions was Cley Windmill.

'On the first occasion a lady came to stay with her husband to celebrate his birthday, and booked a ground floor 'River' room on March 18.

'They came back to their room at about 10pm and the bedroom windows looked out onto the garden area of the mill.

'She had a strange feeling she was being watched at about 10.30pm and saw a shadow of a man scuffle off when she looked out the window.

'She saw a person carrying a stool/chair in his hands. In the morning they reported it and are seeking compensation of �442 as their two-night stay was ruined.

'The next person on March 24 was another female staying with her daughter and grandson, again in the 'River' room. At about 10.30pm she saw a man sitting in the garden who looked through their window several times and was in the area about 20 minutes. They then saw him again at about 11.30pm. It ruined their stay and they're seeking compensation of �250.

'And then on March 25, a couple stayed at the Longhouse room, again on the ground floor. They were booked for two nights but just stayed one because of the incident.

'On this occasion a PCSO who knew of the previous two offences caught Newall peeping through the window. Newall had picked up a chair from the patio and placed it in front of the ground floor window.

'The PCSO shouted at Newall and asked him what he was doing. He said 'I'm looking through the windows'. Newall later told another officer that he was 'curious about people coming and going' at the mill.'

Newall was arrested and said at the police station he wanted to observe people naked or engaged in sexual activity and his motivation was sexual gratification, she said.

Newall, who works at a bookshop in Cley, was known to the owner of the windmill, who has asked for compensation of �259, as the last couple had not stopped their second night, she added.

For Newall, Kieran Dunphy said he had never been in trouble before and his partner was standing by him. He said Newall had already seen his GP and was seeking psychological assistance.

He said: 'It started off as him being nosey but turned into something that he deeply regrets. He had no idea of the distress he was causing the guests or the proprietor and feels sorry and ashamed, and quite rightly embarrassed.'

Chairman of the bench, Charles Meacock warned Newall that if he did anything similar again he would be facing custody.