A "DISTURBING" man who possessed more than 2,500 "grossly offensive" images on his phone has appeared before court.

Phillip Anthony Peach, 30, was arrested on November 7, 2017, and investigating officers found 2,544 indecent images and videos of children in his possession.

Officers from Hampshire Police investigated Peach after receiving intelligence from a child safety organisation.

Police seized Peach's mobile phone, a removable storage device and searched his online document storage where officers found more than 2,500 indecent images and videos.

The charges relate to activity between January 1, 2015, to October 31, 2018.

Peach pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image and one count of possessing prohibited images of a child.

Peach of Friary Gardens, Winchester, was sentenced to two years and 11 months, suspended for two years.

Peach will be required to attend an offenders’ treatment programme and rehabilitation activity and was also made subject to the sex offenders register and served a sexual harm prevention order, both for 10 years.

A CPS spokesperson said: "This was a disturbing case involving grossly offensive images and videos very young children and animals. Both the volume and nature of the images has led to today’s sentence.

“We want to make it clear that we do not tolerate the creation or possession of this type of material and are committed to prosecuting cases like this."