A man has been sentenced for possessing indecent photographs of children over a 10-month period.

Ian Woodward, aged 54 of Compton Bishop, pleaded guilty to three counts of having the images on his computer between March 1, 2017 and January 9, 2018.

He was sentenced for the offences at Taunton Crown Court on Friday.

The court instructed Woodward to serve a three-year community order, attend a sex offender treatment programme and complete rehabilitation activities.

He was liable to pay £200 in costs at a rate of £5 per week.

Woodward had to forfeit the computer in question and had a Sexual Harm Prevention Order made against him for 10 years.

A South West NSPCC spokesman called for greater restrictions on the internet.

They said: “In every indecent image of a child is a victim of abuse and rehabilitation.

“Woodward’s actions have fuelled the trade in this sickening content and it’s important that tech firms and law enforcement organisations work together to rid the internet of this material once and for all.”