A FORMER Salvation Army captain and convicted paedophile caught secretly photographing schoolgirls in Trafalgar Square has been jailed for 15 months.

Andrew Newing, aged 45, was on the sex offender's register for sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl when undercover police swooped on Trafalgar Square this summer.

Police found 700 indecent images on his computer which showed several trips to the square and other attractions.

As part of his sentence Newing was banned from ever having a camera in a public place again.

Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court heard Newing was pretending to photograph the National Gallery when police spotted him on June 12.

On his digital camera were a number of 'up-skirts shots' of women and frames of a group of primary school girls in uniform.

The photographs at Newing's home in Dartford included naked children in parks and paddling pools.

He had also downloaded from the internet dozens of images of children as young as six being abused by adults.

Four years ago Newing was jailed for two-and-a-half years after he undressed and filmed a sleeping three-year-old he was meant to be caring for.

He was expelled from the Salvation Army in disgrace.

Newing had a total of 35,000 images on his computer, some of which he had framed and hung on his wall together with a used tampon.

A large bag of dirty sanitary wear and a 20-year collection of soiled children's pants were also discovered.

Peter Zinner, prosecuting, said Newing committed the recent offences while under the supervision of Dartford Public Protection Unit.

"The material is homemade, the defendant has previous convictions for sexual assault on a child and similar involvement in child pornography," Mr Zinner said.

Jailing him for just 15 months, Judge Simon Smith said: "I don't propose to pass an indeterminate sentence.

"I believe that would be putting too much weight on these matters, but it is inevitable that a custodial sentence must be passed."

But he added: "These offences are made more serious by the fact you received a court martial in 2002 when you were dealt with for an indecent assault.

"Here you are again before the courts for taking, making, and possession of sexual photographs of children.

"You are going out in public taking indecent photos of children and downloading then viewing images from the internet."

Newing will sign on the sex offenders' register for a further 10 years, and was banned from being in public with any device capable of taking pictures.

He is already disqualified for life from working with children.

Newing, of Essex Road, Dartford, admitted 12 charges of making indecent images of children, two counts of taking, one count of possession and one count of attempting to take indecent images.