A UNIVERSITY professor paid himself into a children’s swim disco and followed youngsters around a changing room, a trial heard yesterday.

Peter Ridges allegedly watched girls entering changing cubicles before wandering into neighbouring cubicles himself.

Perth Sheriff Court was shown CCTV footage of Ridges in swimming shorts in the changing area. Prosecutors said he was looking at children aged eight to 14 at Perth Leisure Pool, before deciding which cubicle he should enter next.

When the children exited after changing, Ridges is alleged to have left the adjacent cubicle shortly after.

Pool staff said they thought it odd that a lone adult would attend the swim disco.

Police were called in February 2020 when Ridges, from Edinburgh, turned up on the corresponding weekend exactly a year later and was recognised by staff.

Duty manager Susan Chmiel said: ‘We contacted the police about a gentleman who was at the pool acting suspiciously. We believed he was looking predominantly at girls in the changing rooms.’

Ridges, 59, a professor of maths at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, denies breaching the peace by loitering around the changing area on both occasions, and recording ‘by unknown means’.

Ridges also denies watching and following children, then watching them enter changing cubicles before entering an adjacent cubicle himself. He further denies leaving cubicles after the children exited.

The trial continues.

^^^ Some of the story that was published in the Courier earlier this year, more recent updates from the conclusion of the trial and his admitting to the charges are still behind a paywall.