THE former caretaker at Marlwood School in Alveston this week admitted downloading child pornography from the internet.

Douglas John Saunders, 44, who was living in the site manager's bungalow at the school at the time of the offences, had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday he changed his pleas and admitted all 15 charges of making indecent photographs of a child.

The offences span a period between January 1903 and May last year.

The facts of the case were not opened and Judge John Foley ordered reports prior to sentencing.

Nicholas O'Brien, defending, asked that the court be provided with a psychiatric report on Saunders.

"This defendant has a history of severe depression - including electric shock treatment - in the past," he said.

"It would be useful for the court to know whether the psychiatrist thinks he is a danger."

The judge ordered a psychiatric assessment up to a cost of £650 and also probation reports. He freed Saunders on conditional bail pending sentencing on a date to be fixed.

Saunders was originally remanded to a bail hostel in Southampton but has since been living at a different, undisclosed address.

South Gloucestershire education authority suspended Saunders from his duties as site manager at Marlwood as soon as the school was made aware of the nature of the allegations. He subsequently resigned from his post.