A former Bury St Edmunds man could face jail after he admitted possessing more than 25,000 indecent images of children.

Michael Davidson, 52, previously of Churchgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, appeared at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Thursday to face five charges.

Davidson, who changed his name by deed poll from Michael Garling on August 3 this year, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, possessing prohibited images of a child and possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals.

Prosecutor Colette Harper told magistrates the National Crime Agency received information that the user of an email address had uploaded indecent images onto the internet.

Officers attended Davidson's home in Churchgate Street, Bury, on December 10 last year just after 8am and executed a warrant.

Davidson told police there would be material on his hard drives and cooperated with officers.

He spoke openly about his interest in teenage boys, insisted he had not shared any pictures or videos and said he would not consider any contact offences, Mrs Harper told the court.

A search was conducted and an iPhone and a number of hard drives were seized by police.

After analysis, officers discovered 3,472 images of the most serious kind - category A - and 1,634 videos of that level.

A further 5,327 category B images were found, with 1,447 videos, along with 16,405 images and 23 videos of category C.

Two prohibited images of children were also discovered as well as extreme pornographic images involving animals.

Davidson did inform police of his name change from Michael Garling, Mrs Harper told magistrates.

Davidson, now of Catharine Street, Cambridge, had no previous convictions, the court heard.

Angus McWilliams, representing Davidson, said due to the large number of category A images, the case would be "better placed" at the crown court.

Mr McWilliams also requested an all-options pre-sentence report from the Probation Service.

Magistrates sent the case to Ipswich Crown Court on a date to be fixed and granted Davidson unconditional bail.

An interim sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) was also imposed by magistrates ahead of Davidson's sentence at Ipswich Crown Court.