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A former council binman who lost his family, job and liberty after being snared by a paedophile hunter group has been found hanged.

Robert Pearson, 56, originally of Honley , was convicted of sexting what he thought was a teenage boy but was in fact a member of the paedophile hunters Team Impact.

The group confronted Mr Pearson at his home in January and he was arrested at the scene.

In February, Mr Pearson, who has one previous conviction for criminal damage, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

A month later he was jailed for eight months .

The court heard Mr Pearson was suspended from his job of 27 years as a binman for Kirklees council pending the outcome of the court case but later resigned.

It was said that he had lost his wife of 29 years as well as his son and ‘faced spending the rest of his life without the two people most important to him.”

Mr Pearson was found hanged at the Valley Bowmen of Huddersfield club in Meltham early this morning.

A witness described finding Mr Pearson’s body before police were called to the scene at just before 6am.

Two police cars, including a crime scene investigations van, attended the archery club on Knowle Lane.

Later, at around 9am, investigators from the criminal investigations department (CID) arrived and a police cordon was put across the entrance to the club.

Much of the investigation work appeared to be centred around a patch of grass near the green hut.

A statement from West Yorkshire Police said: “Police were called at 5.53am to a concern for safety in Knowle Lane, Meltham.

“Officers attended and discovered a body of a man in his 50s.

“There are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances and a file has been prepared for the coroner.”

Knowle Lane, which links Honley and Meltham, remained open throughout the ongoing investigation.

Paul McGuire, club secretary of the Valley Bowmen was alerted to the police activity and described his shock after arriving at the scene.

“I locked up the gate at 9pm last night,” he said. “I got a call this morning from one of the members to say there was a police incident at the field and police were not letting anybody in.

“Obviously I’m shocked.”

Mr McGuire said the police later called him at home to tell him the undertaker had been to take the body away and the club was fully reopened at 11.30am.