Ex Leeds Lord Mayor Neil Taggart admits indecent images charges Published duration 5 June 2017

image caption Neil Taggart was the Lord Mayor of Leeds in 2003. He also served as a West Yorkshire Police Authority chairman and city councillor

A former Lord Mayor of Leeds has admitted making and distributing indecent photographs of children.

Neil Taggart, who also served as a West Yorkshire Police Authority chairman and city councillor, pleaded guilty to eight child sex offences at Leeds Crown Court earlier.

The 65-year-old has been sacked from the Labour Party after he was suspended in October, a party spokesman said.

The crimes took place between 2007 and 2016, according to the Yorkshire Post

Taggart, of Marlowe Court, Garforth, is due to be sentenced on 4 July.

In a statement, Labour said it had suspended him "as soon as the party became aware of the allegations he was facing".

"Following his guilty pleas today, he has been auto-excluded from the Labour Party, as being convicted of a serious criminal offence means he is no longer eligible to be a party member."

Leader of Leeds City Council, Judith Blake, said: "I condemn these despicable crimes in the strongest possible terms."

Taggart served as Lord Mayor in 2003. He was a Labour councillor for more than 30 years before being deselected by the party in October 2013 ahead of the 2014 election.

The charges:

Three counts of making indecent photographs of children

Three counts of distributing indecent photographs of children

Possession of prohibited images of children