A FORMER Conservative councillor was branded “despicable” by his own daughter after he was caught down-loading more than 1,800 obscene images of children.

While his wife and two daughters slept, Ian McKellar, 58, scoured pornographic websites for pictures of adolescent girls in erotic poses.

Liverpool crown court heard the former chairman of West Wirral Conservatives and Claughton representative was thought of as a “pillar of society”, but in fact led a secret life poring over indecent images.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, told McKellar, who was on the board of Governors for two schools: “I can put it no better than how one of your daughters described you – ‘despicable’.”

Placing McKellar under supervision for three years and ordering him to attend a sex offenders’ programme, Judge Aubrey added: “You have brought shame and disgrace upon yourself, and shame, disgrace, embarrassment, consternation and bewilderment upon your wife and children.” Prosecutor Robert Jansen told the court that police raided McKellar’s home on Sandy Lane, West Kirby, on May 11, 2006, and seized two computers and three disks. A total of 1,831 indecent images were uncovered.