Sentencing of a former Wirral councillor who has admitted downloading more than 1,700 indecent images of children was adjourned today.

Ian Graham McKellar, of Sandy Lane, West Kirby, had been due for sentence at Liverpool Crown Court but this was postponed until next month.

He pleaded guilty last month to eight offences of making indecent images prior to May 11, 2006.

58-year-old McKellar is a former chairman of West Wirral Conservatives and represented Claughton on Wirral council in the 1980s.

His barrister Arthur Gibson asked for extra time for further assessment to assess McKellar's suitability for the "Northumbria" sex programme.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, agreed to this but warned McKellar that was no indication of the sentence he may receive.

At the earlier hearing a judge was told that the images involved 1,639 images in the lowest category and the other 83 were in the next three more serious categories.

McKellar pleaded guilty on the basis that he had deliberately sought to look at naked girls aged between 12 - 16 in erotic poses but had not wanted to look at children involved in the more serious categories, including having sex with adults.

The images had not been stored after being viewed, said Mr Gibson.

McKellar was further remanded on bail to await sentence on March 18.