Premier Inn Manager Secretly Recorded Staff Undressing

A manager with hotel chain giant Premier Inn secretly filmed employees with a concealed mobile phone as they changed into their uniforms, a court heard.

Batchelor Anthony Grant, 38, the night manager at the Great Suffolk Street, Southwark hotel near the Tate Modern, had deliberately propped his phone against a rucksack and covered it with a jacket.

He denied the offences, claiming he must have accidentally activated his phone’s record feature, but was found guilty of three counts of voyeurism after a trial.

At Bexley Magistrates’ Court Grant, who lives with his mother in Barque Mews, Deptford received a two-year Community Order, plus 250 hours community service work.

He must also complete thirty days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and pay £500 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

Grant was effectively sacked on the spot from his night manager position with the UK’s largest hotel chain and remains unemployed.

Prosecutor Denise Clewes told the court two female and one male day shift employees were recorded undressing and changing into their uniforms as they phone ran for nearly and hour.

One of the female victim’s told police Grant “blushed and was embarrassed” when she arrived for work on September 26, 2021 and the male worker told her not to get changed as usual.

“She saw a propped-up phone obscured by a jacket, which viewed the entire room and anybody changing in there.

“Another employee put her bag in front of the phone and got changed and it was reported to another manager.

“That manager saw the phone propped against a rucksack and that it had been recording for fifty-nine minutes and he stopped it recording,” added Ms Clewes. 

“Watching the recorded footage he could see Grant had captured himself setting up the phone to record the room.

“The male victim believed he had been recorded in his socks and underwear.”

When asked about his phone Grant told his boss: “I didn’t know it was recording.”

He was told to leave the premises immediately and the police were later informed.

“Mr Grant said he never set his phone to record and maybe had accidentally swiped to record and said he did not intend to record any of his colleagues.”

In her victim impact statement the first female victim said: “I was in a vulnerable position and I now feel paranoid and uncomfortable.

“I am concerned he knows where I live and my route to and from work and I sometimes now don’t use the changing room.”

The second female victim said: “I feel weird going to and from work and feel he may be secretly watching me from somewhere.”

The court heard Grant was of good character before these offences and has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

“We have listened to everything that has been said and we think this can be dealt with in the community, where you can receive the treatment you need,” announced magistrate Shirley Muckell.

“This package has been put together by the Probation Service to assist you.”