DETECTIVES have agreed to investigate how a computer hacker has virtually taken over a family computer and downloaded thousands of images of gay pornography.

Cleveland Police decided to take away the computer after 3,717 gay pornographic images were deleted - only to be almost immediately replaced with 4,500 more.

John Taggart, of Eston, near Middlesbrough, is worried that the hacker may even be accessing illegal pornography on his computer.

On Saturday, The Northern Echo reported how police had confirmed that only the software saboteur - who could be operating from anywhere in the world - was responsible for accessing the images.

However, as none of the pornographic pictures was actually illegal, detectives had decided to take no further action.

Now, Cleveland Police specialist computer detectives have decided to take a fresh look at the case.

The saboteur almost certainly first gained access to the Taggart family computer using a Trojan Horse virus.

Mr Taggart, a father of three boys, said: "We still don't know exactly what is on there.

"I put the 3,700 images in the recycling bin and suddenly another 4,500-and-odd appear. They may have been in my computer all the time.

"I'm just glad the police are going to take my computer away and properly investigate. At least we know that there is someone doing this."

Computer hacking is illegal under the 1990 Misuse of Computers Act.