Darren Geoffrey Pedley, former teacher and Labour Councillor for Balderstone and Kirkholt, appeared at Bolton Crown Court charged with 12 counts of making indecent photographs of a child, to which he pleaded not guilty. One photograph was at level three, eight were at level four and three were at level five - the most serious offence of this type.

Pedley, was a former chairman of governors at Sandbrook Primary School and was Labour councillor for Balderstone and Kirkholt from 2004 to 2007.

The charges date back to October 2011, the photographs do not involve any children at the school.

Before standing for election in 2008, Pedley had said he was involved with Tenants and Residents around Kirkholt, the Vision for Kirkholt steering group, The Friends of Balderstone Library and trade union USDAW (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers).

Pedley ran from his home in Daventry Road, Kirkholt and headed for Orpington, Kent with his wife who was also on trial for the same offence. Laura Jeffrey, 30, of Ethelbert Road, Orpington, Kent, was charged with four counts of making and eight counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child. She also pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Both Pedley and Jeffrey were subsequently cleared of the charges. Not that there wasn't guilt, it was just that it wasn't possible to prove who downloaded them onto their PC.