An Ashford pub landlord has told of the moment he discovered sick pictures of children on a customer’s mobile phone.

Ian Rampton had already thrown Daniel Bessell out of The Albion, Willesborough, after a punch-up when he found images on an iPhone which had been left behind.

Horrified, he called the police who discovered it was Bessell’s phone.

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Bessell, 38, appeared at Canterbury Crown Court and pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children and assaulting Mr Rampton.

"It was the best smack I’ve ever had. If he hadn’t hit me, we wouldn’t have called the police, he wouldn’t have left the phone, and we wouldn’t have found the pictures" - Ian Rampton

He is due to be sentenced in November.

Mr Rampton, who owns The Albion with his wife, Nik, now admits that the hit from Bessell was the “best smack” he had ever had, as it led to his conviction.

Remembering the night it all took place, November 16 last year, he said: “We had a band playing that night and it was very busy.

“There was a man standing alone by the band. He looked like a bit of an oddball, and he kept turning around and going into his bag.”

Mr Rampton, a father-of-three, investigated and caught him sneaking alcohol from his bag, and asked him to stop.

He continued: “He muttered something and I said he had to leave. He then punched me in the left eye, catching my glasses.

Video: Landlord describes how he and his staff caught paedophile Daniel Bessell

“I bundled him out of the pub – a few regulars saw what happened and helped.”

Mr Rampton said Bessell, once outside, tried desperately to get back into the pub, claiming he had a girlfriend inside.

However, the landlord, aided by his wife Nik and others, managed to keep him out.

Looking back, the landlord thinks Bessell must have been thinking of his phone, which was still in the venue.

Eventually, another customer called the police, who then arrived and arrested Bessell.

Mr Rampton went to the police station and gave a statement.

However, when he returned to The Albion, at around 12.30am, his staff told him a phone had been found at one of the tables, on charge, and they suspected it was Bessell’s.

Mr Rampton added: “The barmaid said it had been ringing all night, but we didn’t answer it.

“There was no password on it so we looked through the pictures to see if we could identify whose it was.

“We saw a few pictures of women at first, but kept looking to see if there was one of the owner. That is when we found the child images.”

Mr Rampton, 42, described the disturbing images as “horrible, disgusting and awful”.

Mrs Rampton added: “We saw one picture and knew it wasn’t right. It was sick. We couldn’t look any more.”

The police were again called, and took the phone.

Officers also discovered a second mobile belonging to the man, who previously lived in Ashford but now lives in Whitstable Road, Canterbury, which also had indecent images on it.

Mr Rampton added: “I’ve said to people it was the best smack I’ve ever had. If he hadn’t hit me, we wouldn’t have called the police, he wouldn’t have left the phone, and we wouldn’t have found the pictures.

“I don’t mind being smacked for that.”