A MAN has admitted having hundreds of indecent images of children among a million pornographic images on his home computer.

Peter Vallance, 54, was found to have the images of youngsters hidden away among a vast computer porn collection which included one million pictures and almost 2,000 movies during a police swoop on his home.

Vallance, now of St Michael's Road, Bournemouth, heard that he is "likely to face prison" after pleading guilty to 24 counts of making indecent images of a child.

Prosecutor Andrew Cannon told Bournemouth magistrates that police officers took away computers during a search of Vallance's home in Christchurch Road, Bournemouth on December 15 2004.

When officers arrived Vallance greeted them with the words "What you are looking for is upstairs" and was subsequently arrested.

Vallance later admitted in a police interview that he was a collector of porn.

"When it was put to him that some images on his computers may have been children he was to say he didn't know the ages of the children involved", added Mr Cannon.

Two of the images and 20 movies were found to be of grade four - the most serious category.

Twenty-three images and 11 movies were of grade three, 157 images and 19 movies at grade two and 955 images and 37 movies at grade one - the least serious - the court heard.

Vallance told police that he had never taken indecent images of children or paid for them but that they were just "out there".

Vallance's defence, Keith O'Neill said that Vallance has no previous convictions and was "candid" with police about the offences. He added: "The vast majority were the least serious category one and very few of grade four serious images. It is important it is put into context."

Vallance has spent almost two-and-a-half years waiting for the case to come to court and has had a stroke with the stress added Mr O'Neill.

He will be sentenced at a later date.