A 59-YEAR-OLD man from Galashiels caught with more than 500 indecent images of children as young as five has had his name placed on the sex offenders register.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told police found the haul on four USB sticks and a laptop belonging to Richard Noble, after searching his home in Abbotsford Road.

Depute fiscal Fiona Hamilton described 151 of the images as “accessible”, with 378 “inaccessible” which meant they had been deleted.

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Most were defined as Category C, and all featured children aged between five and 14.

The court heard Noble was living with his wife at the time of his arrest, but the couple – who were going through a divorce – have since split.

Noble committed the offence between September 2018 and May 2021, and sentence has been deferred until May 2 for background reports.