POLICE have revealed that a man referred to during a court case that ended in the jailing of a paedophile scoutmaster had already been arrested on suspicion of making indecent images of children.

Former Teesside scoutmaster Paul Woodruff was last week sentenced to 11 years in jail for abusing youngsters in his care.

Teesside Crown Court had been told that another man had helped arrange trips for youngsters from Woodruff's Scout troop, and that they regularly stayed at his home in London.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police - which has been investigating a possible paedophile ring - confirmed that a man from the Harrow area of London had been arrested on December 5, 2001.

He was arrested on suspicion of making indecent images of children, and bailed to return on a date yet to be fixed, pending further inquiries.

The spokesman said: "A large amount of computer equipment which was seized is continuing to be analysed by forensic staff.

"The Metropolitan Police service is liaising with Cleveland Police on this matter."

The spokesman added that it was not unusual in such investigations for a large amount of time to elapse from the arrest of a person to charges being brought.

Woodruff was a former member of the Scouts Association, and latterly the breakaway Baden Powell Scouts Association.

He was convicted of the rape and two indecent assaults of a teenage Scout, and was also found to be in possession of 16,000 Internet child porn images following a raid on his home.

Since his conviction, both scouting bodies have expressed sympathy for his victims and said they employ stringent vetting methods, including checks on scout leaders using the police Criminal Records Bureau.

Woodruff and his 76-year-old mother were driven from their council house on the Brambles Farm estate, Middlesbrough by neighbours after a former Scout reported him to the police two years ago.

Ian Skelt, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, said police seized films, Scout uniforms, sailor suits and nappies from Woodruff.

He had begun grooming his victims at the Scout group, where he was second in charge.

The court heard how he regularly took the boys to meet other leaders in London.