A FORMER school caretaker from Old Hill has appeared in court charged with making indecent photos of children.

Lee Wells, aged 38, is accused of making a total of 314 indecent photos of children and 65 indecent movies of children.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between January 2003 and December 2004 and involve images up to level five, the most serious category.

Wells, of Station Road, Old Hill, is also charged with stealing computer equipment worth £1,000 from his former workplace, Withymoor Primary School in Brierley Hill.

Dudley magistrates were told the indecent images were recovered from equipment seized after police executed a warrant at the defendant's address.

Magistrates ruled Mr Wells's case was so serious it should be dealt with at crown court and ordered an adjournment for committal in the new year.

He was remanded on bail with the condition he should have no unsupervised contact with people aged under 18, not carry out paid or voluntary work which would bring him into contact with children and not access the internet other than in the course of employment.

A spokesman for Dudley Council confirmed Mr Wells resigned from Withymoor Primary School in February but declined to comment further while legal proceedings were under way.