A PERVERT was jailed for having indecent images - because he refuses to co-operate with any form of treatment.

Shocked police found a large collage of naked boys on the fireplace in the front room of John Sumner's home in Hartlepool.

More photographs were discovered on the floor, while hundreds of other pictures were stored on piles of computer discs.

Sumner, 55, lived just yards away from a primary school when his sickening collection was found in April last year.

His lawyer, Ian Hudson, admitted a report written by a probation officer was "worrying" and prison was inevitable.

"He has been assessed and re-assessed, and he will not comply with any form of community penalty treatment.

"I have to accept that he is high risk," said Mr Hudson. "I can't get away from the fact that he has shown little remorse."

Prosecutor Sue Jacobs told the court that more than 1,000 images were found at Sumner's then-home in Sheriff Street.

Jailing him for a year, Judge Peter Bowers told him: "You clearly have a distorted and perverted sexual appetite.

"You also lack the insight to realise that what you were doing was both morally and criminally wrong.

"The Probation Service consider that you do present a high risk to young teenage males.

"You are unable or unwilling to accept any medical help for your illness or treatment, or even accept any help."

Sumner, who admitted making and possessing indecent pseudo images of children, was also put on the sex offenders' register for ten years.