A father-of-six has been jailed after he became embroiled in a pornographic video chain that sent explicit material to householders across the UK.

Scotland Yard's Obscene Publications Unit in London launched an investigation after receiving more than 400 complaints from members of the public sent unsolicited hardcore porn magazines through the post.

Victims said the material, distributed by a national company called Simply The Best, had horrified and shocked them, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday.

During the investigation, detectives were led to David Robson's Teesside home where they found pornographic videos covering every sexual permutation, including bestiality.

Judge George Moorhouse told the court that three of the videos, showing sex with animals, were "repulsive and very depraved."

Harry Hatfield, prosecuting, said officers attended the 37-year-old's house in Grosvenor Road, Billingham and found 118 cassettes, six video recorders, a fax machine and a quantity of video spools.

He said: "The Obscene Publications Unit examined 24 of those which showed of sexual activity of each and every permutation. Three videos contained scenes of sexual activity with animals."

A further six tapes were sent to the British Board of Classifications to be examined and it was discovered that no classification certificate had been issued for the videos, a requirement by law.

Robson told police that he had answered an advert in the Daily Sport newspaper to distribute the videos. He was sent a master tape from Simply The Best each month which he then copied and sent out up to 40 orders a week to householders using address lists provided by the company.

He admitted some of the videos were specialist material and said he had needed the money to support six children following a divorce. Stephen Ashurst, in mitigation, said his client showed high remorse for his actions and said he was a "small cog in a much larger wheel of distribution."

"He is not a man who has enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. He sent material to customers who had specifically requested it."

Robson pleaded guilty to three offences under the Obscene Publications Act and was sentenced to two months each to run concurrently and admitted six offences under the Video Records Act 1984 and sentenced to one month to run concurrently.