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Former councillor Mabon Dane is facing jail after being convicted of possessing child pornography.

At the end of his three-day trial at Ipswich Crown Court, a jury unanimously found Dane, 36, guilty of 16 images of children and one of possessing indecent images of children.

The former Haverhill Town Councillor was immediately placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Judge David Goodin told Dane: "These charges are serious ones. I have not made up my mind what sentence you should receive.

"I noticed that the final one of the newsgroups you subscribed to was titled 'Children Hardcore'.

"That and other factors, not least your not guilty pleas, are of concern to me in the context of sentence.

"I seems to me I need to know a great deal more about you before I proceed to sentence. All options, including custody, remain open."

Previously the court had heard that a laptop computer containing 855 indecent images of children was found at Danes's flat in Withersfield Road, Haverhill, after police made an early morning raid in July 2004.

While police were knocking on the door the computer was under the bed deleting indecent images.

An evidence eliminator programme was being used which made it impossible to trace the source of the images.

Dane claimed he had no knowledge of the images and someone had set him up to discredit him.

He said he had many enemies because of clashes he had been involved in on Haverhill Town Council and claimed town clerk Gordon Mussett "hated him".

After the verdict, prosecutor Robert Sadd revealed to the jury that Dane had been disqualified from being a councillor for three years after a Standards Board hearing ruled that he had brought his office into disrepute and carried out a campaign of destructive criticism against fellow councillors.

Mr Sadd said: "Those he has accused can hold their heads high."

After the verdict, Mr Mussett said any reasonable person would find the offences Dane was convicted of "abhorrent".

Speaking outside the court he said: "The fact that he committed these offences while a councillor, makes it doubly so. He has previously been banned by the Standards Board for three years from serving as a councillor because of his behaviour and this verdict not only confirms that decision but reveals a lot more about him as an individual.

"He had made attacks on two individuals during the course of his defence and the verdict demonstrates that like so much of his defence the allegations were false."

Jusde Goodin adjourned the case for sentence for three weeks so pre-sentence reports could be prepared, with all options open, including imprisonment.

Dane issued a statement after the verdict, saying: "Today I suffered a 'dolorous blow' in Ipswich Crown Court, and I face difficult time ahead.

"Despite the verdict, I stress that I maintain my innocence and hope to one day clear my name.