A COLLEGE lecturer has been charged with 20 offences of downloading child pornography from the internet.

Mark Andrew McVitie, 30, is accused of making indecent photographs of children under the age of 16 in September last year. McVitie, of Clarendon Road East, Little Harwood, Blackburn, worked for a year as a part-time lecturer in basic adult education at Blackburn College, based in the town centre, until just before Christmas.

Bosses at the college did not renew his temporary contract because of his involvement in the police operation but today insisted this was procedure in such cases and they would reconsider employing him if he was cleared.

Assistant Principal Matthew Grant, said McVitie had been involved in teaching basic literacy and numeracy to adult students.

He added: "The college was informed of the charges and took appropriate disciplinary action given the information we had received. Part of that action was not renewing his contract.

"This is not a reflection on his character and depending on the outcome of the case and if things go in Mark's favour we would be more than happy to reconsider employing him."

McVitie appeared before Blackburn Magistrates' Court this week and was remanded on conditional bail. He is due to appear again on Monday, February 26.

The case was adjourned after prosecutor David Macro said he needed the approval of the Director of Public Prosecutions before the matter could go any further.

McVitie was arrested after police executed a warrant at an address in Blackburn and recovered a home computer and floppy disks.