A FUNERAL director could be jailed after being caught with hundreds of indecent images of children on his laptop computer.

Married father Stephen Clough will be sentenced when background reports have been prepared by Probation Service officials.

The 43-year-old was due to go on trial today, after denying a string of charges, but changed his pleas at the 11th hour.

He admitted 15 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child in July 2007, and one of possessing 528 similar sick images.

The pictures were found when a work colleague borrowed Clough's laptop to do some coursework and stumbled across them.

The shocked woman called the police about the discovery and they swooped on Clough's home in Stockton to seize two computers.

An analysis of one of the machines - taken from a bedroom - showed that there had been a flurry of activity in July 2007.

Clough denied downloading the abuse pictures, and said his wife and teenage son also had access to the computer.

But further investigations revealed that Clough's wife and children had been on holiday in Germany at the crucial time.

Expert examination of the computer revealed that the undertaker had accessed 21 different child pornography websites.

Clough, of Newham Grange Avenue, was given bail until his next appearance at Teesside Crown Court.