A RETIRED vicar has jumped to the defence of a former district councillor convicted of collecting child pornography.

Sixty-six-year-old Keith Rogers of Birch Coppice was fined £5,000 three weeks ago after police discovered nearly 2,000 indecent images of children on his computer.

But Rev Ronald Waters defends Rogers' actions and described him as a good friend, straight and sincere.

He said: "For me, I have neither seen nor heard evidence that he has committed heinous sins or crimes."

The former congregational minister added: "While there is no room for being soft, a lot of men look at page three pictures in newspapers and this is really no different.

"Keith is obviously attracted to studying the female form and child form, but I think it is only when we take action that it is terrible - when our appreciation of beauty attacks the personality.

"Keith says his interest in the photographs was artistic and not sexual, and only he knows what that meant to him.

"But I think the human body, like the animal kingdom, is breathtakingly beautiful.

"A growing child, a flowering girl and a boy in youth are beautiful."

However, Mr Waters condemned the people who made the images.

"The fact someone downloads these things means it does become part of high-way peddling and encourages people in the business.

"But it all comes down to a love of humans," he added.

But the United Reformed Church, formed in 1972 by the union of the Congregational Church in England and Wales and the Presbyterian Church of England, slammed the comments.

The United Reformed Church's media officer, David Lawrence said: "Child pornography is never acceptable.

It damages the children who are forced to take part. It endangers other children by encouraging the view that child abuse is acceptable.

"Children are precious to God and they ought to be precious to us - that is what the Church stands for," David added.