A FORMER vet has been cleared of all allegations of making indecent photographs of children as the Crown’s evidence was judged to be weak and inconsistent.

Laurence Swift, 59, of Ivanhoe Road, Herne Bay, had denied seven charges dating back to May and June last year. He was arrested after pornographic pictures of children were found on his computer and digital camera.

But the jury at Canterbury Crown Court heard that it was Swift himself who brought the matter to the attention of the authorities by handing two unsolicited e-mails advertising child pornography over to a probation officer with the intention of helping investigations into child sex websites.

Swift said in interview that when thumbnail images appeared across his computer screen he tried to print them out to take to the authorities. But when unsuccessful, he took a photograph of the computer screen and reloaded it onto the computer to print it out.

He explained that he did not go into the sites advertised.

At some stage some of the material ended up on a CD but Swift said that this happened after his computer fell on the floor and broke – some of the files were backed up onto disc and later reinstalled on to the computer when it was repaired.

Directing the jury to acquit Swift, Judge Michael O’Sullivan said that the Crown conceded there was no evidence on one of the counts and, having heard defence submissions on the remaining counts, he agreed that there was either no evidence or the evidence was weak and inconsistent. He added that the way the case had been put was vague and could not be relied on.

“I have to make a decision on the evidence as presented by the prosecution and having listened carefully to submissions, I take the view it would not be right to leave this case to a jury,” he said.

Swift has still to be sentenced for breaching a three-year community rehabilitation order made in July 2004 after his conviction for indecent assault.

A condition of the order was that he attend the Thames Valley Sex Offenders Treatment programme. He missed two sessions.

Swift was bailed until his sentencing in November.