A 27-year-old former dock worker who downloaded indecent images of children was taken to the floor by police officers after making a dash for the bathroom with his mobile phone following his arrest, a court heard.

Officers went to Thomas Myhill’s home in Castle Gardens, Kesgrave, with a search warrant on December 5 last year and arrested him, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Charlotte Davison, prosecuting, said Myhill was holding his mobile phone and was hugging it close to his body.

When he was asked to hand over the phone he said: “In a minute. I think I’m going to be sick,” and made a dash for the bathroom.

He was taken to the floor by police officers and had the telephone taken away from him, said Miss Davison.

Officers seized the phone and computer equipment, and on a laptop police experts found a total of 27 still and moving indecent images of children.

Of these there were four moving images in the most serious level A category, five still and moving images in category B and 18 still and moving images in the lowest level C category.

The court heard the images featured female children aged between three and 16.

Miss Davison said it was discovered that Myhill had used a secure browsing app on his computer to hide his identity.

Myhill, of Faraday Road, Ipswich, but formerly of Kesgrave, admitted three charges of making indecent images of children between March 16, 2011, and December 6 last year.

Sentencing Myhill to a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, Judge John Devaux said Myhill had been viewing indecent images of children for up to six years.

In addition to the suspended sentence Myhill was given a 40-day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to pay £320 costs.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for seven years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

The court heard Myhill had no previous convictions.

Folashade Abiodun, for Myhill, said her client had lost his job as a dock worker as a result of the offences but was hoping to get a job at a warehouse if he did not receive an immediate prison sentence.

She said he was deeply ashamed of what he had done and felt he had let not only himself down but he had also let his partner, family and children down.

She said he recognised he had issues which needed addressing.