ANGRY parents have spoken out after it emerged that a school caretaker has admitted having hundreds of indecent images of children on his computer.

The parents of children at Liden Primary School and The Chalet School in Liden Drive were sent a letter on Monday informing them that Peter Taylor, 68, had resigned after being suspended from work in February.

Swindon Council said Taylor was employed in good faith and passed a Criminal Records Bureau check.

In the letter, the headteacher of Liden Primary, Paul Kohn, attempted to reassure parents by saying the allegations were not linked to children at either school. But parents have reacted angrily that they were not informed earlier.

The Chalet School is a small special school, catering for pupils aged 3 - 11 with learning difficulties including autism.

A 37-year-old parent of a child there said: “If my child had been approached by this individual, they may not have had the ability to tell anyone. Certainly many of the children who attend this school would not be able to do so, and would likely be suitable targets. In fairness to the schools, I do understand there are limits to the checks that can be done prior to appointment, with CRBs and references always being taken up.

“In this instance, though, it is the withholding of the information that has caused significant distress to the parents of both schools and we as parents want answers as to why they felt it is acceptable to send out a cursory letter at this incredibly late stage.”

Another 37-year-old mother, who has a child at Liden Primary School and another who used to attend, said: “We all thought the letter was school reports at first. Everyone is in shock today. The way we feel is that it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.

“He is very well known – he’s been working there for years.

“But we’re not being told anything. It feels like everyone is trying to protect him and it’s wrong.”

Another 29-year-old mother-of-two children at Liden school said: “What I don’t understand and many other parents don’t understand is why the school didn’t tell us earlier.

“Do we, as parents, not have a right to know that there has been a paedophile working and living on the school grounds for many years, at the same time as our children have been attending the school?

“Do I just take the word of the headteacher of the school, who is trying to reassure parents that no pupil of Liden Primary was involved in any way in these incidents? How can they know for definite?

“This could have become something so much worse, like many of the awful stories we see in the news these days.”

In the letter, Mr Kohn said if parents had concerns about the care or safety of their child he would discuss their concerns with them.

Taylor, who was site manager of Liden Primary and security manager at The Chalet, admitted having 617 indecent photographs and movies of children stored on his computer when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court last week. Of them, 13 pictures and one film were said to be at the most serious level.

Taylor, of May Close, Gorse Hill, was released on conditional bail and will be sentenced on August 13, when he could be jailed.

A Swindon Council spokesperson said: “Mr Taylor was employed as site manager of Liden Primary School in November 2001 and security manager of The Chalet School in September 2002.

“He was suspended from these posts on February 8, 2009, when serious allegations came to light, and he was removed immediately from his on-site lodgings. Mr Taylor resigned from his position the next day. The offences were not linked in any way to either school.

“We would like to assure parents that pupil safety is always a priority when employing staff and Mr Taylor was employed in good faith following a clear CRB check.”