A Suffolk man who downloaded indecent images of children has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Police offices who went to Douglas Milnes’ home on January 17 last year arrested him on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children and seized six devices, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

When they were analysed they were found to contain seven indecent images in the most serious level A category, 49 level B images and 253 images in the lowest level C category.

There were also two level C movies.

Milnes, 61, of Chapel Lane, Botesdale, near Diss, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children between 2011 and 2017 and possessing a prohibited image of a child.

He was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years and a 35 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

Joanne Eley, for Milnes, said her client, who has no previous convictions, had mental health issues.

She said he had had a job and a family but things changed and he had “come to a very low ebb.”