A STUDENT who sparked a security alert with a home-made bomb has admitted downloading indecent images of children.

Edward Mattison, aged 20, of Brereton Drive, Worsley, has pleaded guilty to five counts of downloading indecent images of children.

Police discovered the pictures of the "pre-teens" on Mattison's computer when they raided his home following his arrest for possessing and making an explosive substance.

Mattison, dressed in a striped hooded top and jeans, spoke only to confirm his name and enter his guilty pleas for making indecent images of children at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday.

Gary Woodhall, prosecuting, said all the images were downloaded on April 28, 2005.

Mattison was arrested when residents were forced to evacuate their homes after a home-made bomb exploded on May 31, last year.

Army bomb disposal teams were called to carry out a controlled explosion after police discovered the explosive device at the defendant's house.

The alarm was raised when a police officer heard an explosion and saw a plume of smoke coming from the garage adjoining the large semi-detatched house in Brereton Drive while he was on a routine call in the cul-de-sac.

Mattison, then 19, was arrested after being found in the garage when the officer went to investigate.

The subsequent search of the large detached house uncovered further explosive material and devices inside.

Army teams were called in as a precaution and spent several hours securing the area and stabilising the devices before they carried out the explosion.

A cordon was placed around the scene and three homes in the cul-de-sac, and a further house in Kempnough Hall Road, were evacuated to a nearby hotel.

Mattison pleaded guilty to the explosive charge at a previous hearing.

He will be sentenced for that and for downloading indecent images of children on October 9.