A nurse at a children's hospice failed to appear in court when he was due to be sentenced after being caught with child porn images.

Stephen McCusker, 47, who worked at the Rachel House hospice in Kinross, had previously admitted downloading 1,740 indecent images of children over a four-year period at his home in Glenrothes.

The 47-year-old was to face sentence yesterday but Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court was told he was in hospital. Sentence was deferred until next month.

McCusker started at the hospice in June 2005 and worked there for more than eight years until his offences came to light last November.

Police had found images on his computer showing boys and girls aged five to 14 in a state of undress and in sexualised poses. One video depicted two boys in sexual acts.