Men held in Euro child porn probe

The Europe-wide inquiry has led to 92 arrests

Nine men were arrested in London and the Thames Valley during a Europe-wide inquiry into child porn that has led to 92 arrests across eight countries.

Raids took place in Newbury, Berkshire; Oxfordshire; and Amersham and Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, in September.

Arrests were also made in Hackney, Bromley, Brixton and Hillingdon in London and in Orpington in Kent.

The men, aged between 23 and 61, were among 46 people arrested across the UK and have all been bailed.

Two Oxfordshire men, a 57-year-old from the Wantage area and a 53-year-old from the Banbury area, were arrested.

A 39-year-old from Bletchley and a 56-year-old from Amersham, Bucks, were also held.

A fifth man who was arrested in the Thames Valley was released without charge.

Computers seized

The Metropolitan Police arrested a 39-year-old in Hackney, a 61-year-old in Bromley, a 55-year-old in Brixton, a 23-year-old in Hillingdon and a 48-year-old in Orpington, Kent.

The Europe-wide inquiry has been investigating a network that made videos of children being abused and then sold them to 2,500 customers in 19 countries, the European police force, Europol, said.

The men were arrested on suspicion of being customers and committing offences relating to the possession, making and distribution of indecent images of children.

Police have seized thousands of computers, videos and photographs in their investigation - code named Operation Koala, which began in July 2006.

The films were mainly produced in Ukraine, Belgium and the Netherlands, and most of the victims were Ukrainian.