A “sex addict” Inland Revenue worker from Ipswich who downloaded more than 30,000 indecent images of children has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Martyn Gardiner was arrested after police officers with a search warrant seized a tower unit and a USB stick from his home in November 2017, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

They were found to contain 3,165 indecent images of children and 135 movies in the most serious level A category, 3,397 still images and 91 movies in category B and 27,332 still images and 911 movies in the lowest C category.

Gardiner, 52, of Holcombe Crescent, Ipswich, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children and one of possessing 1,000 extreme pornographic images.

He was given a 16 month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to take part in a 40 day rehabilitation activity requirement and to do 200 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register.

Juliet Donovan, for Gardiner, said he had no previous convictions and had worked for the Inland Revenue for 30 years.

She said he had been a “sex addict” but had taken voluntary steps to get help for his problems.