A former Bristol junior school teacher has been charged with distributing child pornography.

Andrew Sandars, 54, resigned from Redland High School for Girls last August after he was arrested.

He has been charged with seven offences of distributing indecent images of a child.

The child was not a pupil at the independent school which caters for girls aged three to 18.

Sandars, of Wrington Road, Congresbury, is due to appear at Bristol Crown Court on July 28.

He was employed at Redland High School as a junior school teacher from September 2000 until his resignation last year.

After his arrest he was released on police bail while police carried out an investigation.

He first appeared at North Somerset Magistrates' Court in March this year.

Headmistress Caroline Bateson has written to parents informing them of the case.

Criminal record checks were carried out on Sandars before he was employed at the school.

Mrs Bateson said in a statement: " The school takes the security and welfare of its pupils extremely seriously and all appropriate police checks were carried out at the time of Mr Sandars' appointment, in line with school policy."

She confirmed that no complaints had been made about Mr Sandars from any source during the time he worked at the school.

She added that he was a respected and popular teacher and that the recent charges brought against him have shocked the whole school community.

She said: "Parents, staff and governors have been informed about this matter. The police have assured us that the charges do not relate to the school in any way and that no pupils, past or present, or other member of staff at Redland High School have been involved in any way."