A PERVERT with a fetish for taking photos of girls' feet has been banned from carrying a camera.

Martin Spiers shocked 14-year-old girls in Cassiobury Park, Watford, last October when he approached them and asked to take pictures of their feet.

St Albans Crown Court heard on Friday they ran away and found a patrolling police officer to help them.

Charles Ingram, prosecuting, said the police officer found Spiers in the park. He had hidden a digital camera in a bush near where he was standing which was found to have photos of feet on it.

He told the officer: "Sorry, I'm out of my head and trying to sort it out."

Spiers, 38, of Courtlands Drive, Watford, pleaded guilty to being a public nuisance and being in breach of a community order and sexual offenders order.

Mr Ingram said Spiers, also known as Rodrigues, has "a fetish for people's feet, in particular young females".

The community order and sexual offenders order where given after a similar incident in Watford High Street in June 2005.

Daire Brehan, defending, said Spiers' photo-taking was triggered by alcohol and he was seeking to address both problems. She said he is a minimal risk to the public.

Having spent 102 days in custody awaiting sentencing, John Plumstead released Spiers but said to him: "What you do causes little physical harm but it frightens the wits out of people - both the women you approach and the parents who worry about a perverse interest being taken in their children.

"Your fetish is not acceptable when it involves underage people."

Judge Plumstead ordered Spiers to comply with his original sexual offenders order which he said would now last for three years.

He also banned him from taking a camera or camera phone out with him or taking pictures in public for the next six months.