Padiham residents had threatened to boycott the soon-to-be refurbished leisure centre if only mixed changing rooms were provided.

But speaking at Padiham Town Council's annual meeting, Mr Gerard Vinton, Head of Leisure and Recreation for Burnley Council, said separate changing rooms were now part of the plans.

Residents and community groups expressed concerns about "peeping Tom" incidents, and the town council sent a letter to Burnley Council voicing these fears.

"We know there have been some concerns raised over the changing rooms," said Mr Vinton. "We will still be having a mixed changing village, but there will be separate male and female changing rooms also now."

Incidents at St Peter's Centre had left people worried that if only mixed facilities were put at the Padiham site inappropriate behaviour would be encouraged.

Mr Vinton defended mixed changing villages, however, saying there had only been three incidents at St Peter's Centre, despite it receiving millions of visitors.

"Changing villages are family friendly and they are easier to supervise. It's hard some nights to get the same sex staff for the changing rooms. We have to have men and women on because if something happens in the male changing room a female member of staff can't deal with it," he said.