Soham officers in court over child porn

One of the officers is led into magistrates court

Two police officers involved in the Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells murder inquiry have appeared in court charged with child pornography offences.

Detective Constable Brian Stevens, 41, and PC Antony Goodridge, 34, were granted conditional bail but then told they would remain in custody until Monday when the prosecution will appeal against the decision.

Brian Stevens worked on the Soham murder inquiry

Mr Stevens, who worked as a family liaison officer with the Chapman family, faces three charges, and Mr Goodridge faces four charges - all linked to "pseudo-photographs" of children under 16.

The men were arrested on Thursday morning and charged on Friday night.

Their appeal against the magistrates' decision is expected to be heard on Monday at either Ipswich or Bury St Edmunds Crown Court.

Police stress the charges are unrelated to the case of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells.

Indecent images

The officers were arrested by detectives from the West Midlands Police participating in Operation Ore, the UK arm of a global FBI-led operation codenamed Operation Candyman.

Mr Stevens faces two charges of making an indecent image of a child under the age of 16, and one offence of inciting the distribution of such an image.

Mr Goodridge faces two charges of making indecent images, one of inciting distribution and a further charge of possessing such an image.

Soham school caretaker Ian Huntley has been charged with the murder of the girls who disappeared from the village of Soham in Cambridgeshire on 4 August.

His girlfriend, 25-year-old Maxine Carr - who was a teaching assistant at the girls' primary school - has been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.