Former police officer sentenced over child images

The officer will also face a misconduct hearing in due course

A former West Mercia Police officer who admitted making indecent images of children has been given a suspended sentence.

Jamie Bunting, 27, of Westminster Close in Bromsgrove, pleaded guilty after he was charged with three crimes relating to the pictures in August.

He was sentenced to ten months suspended for two years for a category A image, the most serious classification.

The former cadet leader was also given suspended sentences of six months for a category B image and four months for a category C image.

He was also made subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offender's register.

The 27-year-old resigned from the force earlier this year, the force said in a statement.

It added that this would not prevent him facing gross misconduct proceedings in due course.

Bunting was formerly based at Kidderminster Police Station and was a cadet leader for North Worcestershire Volunteer Police Cadets.

A charge of making indecent images can include downloading an image from a website, receiving an image from a social media app or opening an email containing such an image.