A JURY will continue deliberations today into allegations a prison officer downloaded indecent images of children from the Internet.

Brian Bestford, 49, admits downloading pictures of mostly males from Internet websites, including one titled Schoolboys Home Alone, but he claims he believed all the models featured were aged 18 or over.

The married father-of-two told a jury at Durham Crown Court that he stored several on his home computer hard drive and others on floppy discs, some of which he and his wife would look at in the privacy of their bedroom.

Mr Bestford, a prison officer for 27 years, with no previous convictions, denies ten counts of making indecent photographs of children under the age of 16.

The court was told police visited his home in Brookside, Witton Gilbert, near Durham, and seized the computer equipment and floppy discs in January last year.

Robert Woodcock, prosecuting, said scrutiny of the hard drive and discs revealed among the many images a number featuring boys "taken in indecent circumstances".

He said the fact that he stored a website header page of Schoolboys Home Alone was relevant.

"It's indicative as to what was the interest of the defendant that he should confide himself to storing away photographs which are of children and which are indecent," said Mr Woodcock.

Mr Bestford told the court: "I believe that all the pictures I have looked at were all over the age of 18."

He said he believed all the websites were regulated as he subscribed through Adult Check.

"I had paid the subscription to an adult verification system and I thought that that prevented anyone under the legal age being present on any website.

"I have 27 years in the prison service and I was hardly likely to throw away my last ten years and something like £300,000 for the sake of some pornographic pictures."

The jury failed to reach a verdict after an hour's consideration last night and was sent home by Judge Tim Hewitt to return today.

The case contines