A PEEPING tom who admitted harassing women on an estate for over a year has been cautioned, police have announced.

The un-named man was arrested last week after women living alone in Makepeace Road and Victory Road, off Hermon Hill, in Wanstead, reported being watched through windows of their homes.

Police have not explained the decison not to prosecute the man despite his confession and the seriousness of the offences.

A spokeswoman said it would take too long to find out how many reports had been made since March last year.

One victim in Makepeace Road, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Guardian in December 2010 that the police had failed to respond after she reported a man spying on her through her bedroom window.

The 30-year-old added: “When I got home at about 7.30pm I saw a man standing in the area, and as I went to the front door he walked across my path. He had his head down and he walked off.

“A bit later I'd just had a shower and I was getting dressed. I noticed my curtains were ajar and I went to the window in my underwear and I saw him standing outside.

“I screamed and he didn't move, he didn't react. Then I started shouting and banging on the window and he ran off.

“Afterwards I called some friends over because I was frightened and they had a look around outside.

"They saw footprints in the snow underneath all of the other windows on the ground floor.”

She described the man as of south Asian appearance, in his mid to late 20s, of medium build, and around 5ft 9ins. He was wearing a long beige coat and a beige knitted hat.

Another woman living in her block told her she had seen a man looking into the window of her 13-year-old daughter in 2009.

More recent reports prompted warning letters to be sent out to residents warning them of the problem.

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