A lorry driver from Long Ashton who downloaded about 1,700 indecent images of children as young as five from the internet has been jailed for a year.

Ashamed James Herriot told police that once he started viewing the abuse pictures he became hooked, Bristol Crown Court heard.

He said would spend two hours, two or three times a week, looking at pictures but denied being sexually stimulated by them.

Herriot, 57, of Birdwell Road, admitted 21 counts of making indecent images.

Judge Simon Darwall-Smith told him: "For every image there is an abused child.

"Children as young as five were depicted, a substantial number were at the 5 and 4 (most serious) levels and the custody threshold has clearly been breached.

"You are of hitherto good character, you admitted matters immediately and you are clearly ashamed.

"But public reaction would be rightly outraged if you are given your liberty."

Herriot should serve six months behind bars before being released on licence.

He was given an unlimited sexual offences prevention order banning him from computer use save for work and employment, and restricting his contact with children aged under-16.

The defendant was told to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, said Avon and Somerset Constabulary received information from another police force that child abuse pictures were being downloaded within their patch between certain dates.

When police searched Herriot's home in a 7.10am visit he admitted possessing images and told them: "It was me. It was down to me. I did it."

Mr Bell said Herriot showed officers to a bedroom and, as they retrieved a laptop computer, told them: "This is what you want."

In interview, Herriot said he had accessed a file sharing website and did not know how many images he had downloaded – he told officers: "You get into it and then it gets worse and worse."

Herriot said he was ashamed, had tried to blot it out, had counselling and was not able to explain why he had done it.

He confirmed he was "not particularly aroused" by the pictures, had been married for about 40 years and was heterosexual.

The court heard the overwhelming majority of pictures – 1,263 – were at the lowest category of seriousness depicting children in "erotic" posing without sexual activity.

There were, however, 22 pictures and one movie clip at the highest level of seriousness, involving sadism or animals.

Matthew Comer, defending, said his client found the stress of the proceedings "immense" and was deeply ashamed.

He told the court if Herriot was jailed there was a "very real possibility" his marriage would be destroyed.

The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of Herriot's laptop, though the court heard Herriot no longer used computers.