A FARMER and his wife had sex while secretly spying on holidaymakers staying at their rental country cottage next door, a court heard today.

The wife of David Sturgess, aged 53, told how he hid four cameras in the country cottage to secretly film guests undressing, showering and having sex.

And wife Teresa told a jury how the couple would lay in bed in their neighbouring cottage watching a TV monitor filming their naked guests.

Wife Teresa, aged 51, said: "David got sexually turned on by this - he wanted me to do things to him while he watched."

Sturgess converted the farm outbuilding into a three-star holiday cottage and advertised it for £400-a-week on the internet.

But the court heard Sturgess invested in a network of hidden cameras and video recorders hidden in fake smoke alarms.

She said: "He installed the equipment the moment I took a booking.

"He found out a bit about the people who were coming to stay and installed the equipment very quickly."

Sturgess is accused of filming 12 holidaymakers during their visit to his cottage in Llandysul, near Cardigan.

The jury heard four cameras hidden in smoke alarms were able to zoom in on people as they showered, used the toilet, undressed and had sex.

Mother-of-two Teresa - who uses her maiden name of Miss Crick - told the jury how she and Sturgess joined the swinging scene of wife-swapping after getting together seven years ago.

She said: "David said he always likes the idea of us swapping.

"When the relationship started he wanted to explore that and I should have said no.

"At the beginning we explored it. I didn't want to take it any further. but David continued searching."

Miss Crick told the jury how Sturgess filmed one couple who were aware of the cameras while they stayed at the cottage next door.

She said: "What started off looking for couples very soon changed to David's desire to look for a female.

Asked if she ever viewed the tapes herself Miss Crick replied: "No, never. I never touched the equipment.

"David would watch on his own and sometimes when I was with him."

Asked if she looked at the videos because she was turned on by women, she said: "I've no sexual interest in women."

Swansea Crown Court heard Sturgess's Peeping Tom guest house was uncovered when Miss Crick reported him to the police after they split up.

Sturgess's alleged victims were 10 females and two males - with three under the age of 18.

Sturgess, originally from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, denies 12 charges of voyeurism and three of taking indecent images of children.

The trial continues.