Commons aide denies child porn charges

A highly-placed aide at the House of Commons has denied charges of downloading child pornography onto a computer.

Philip Lyon, 37, of Langdon Hill in Basildon, Essex, also denies making an indecent photograph of a child at some time between 10 October 2001 and 17 April this year.

He entered 12 not guilty pleas during a five-minute appearance on Thursday at London's Southwark Crown Court.

Police seized a computer in April after obtaining special permission to search the Houses of Parliament.

Bail granted

Judge James Wadsworth, QC, granted Mr Lyon unconditional bail until his trial begins on 24 March of next year.

Mr Lyon's main duties are arranging question time for the prime minister on Wednesday afternoons.

He works daily with senior back-bench MPs and sits in on private sessions of the select committees as they cross-examine witnesses.