A YOUNG Andover man, twice convicted of possessing sexual images of children, was an apprentice at Test Valley Borough Council despite having a criminal record, the Andover Advertiser can reveal.

Daniel McMillan, who featured in last Friday’ s paper after he was spared prison despite a conviction of possessing dozens of images of boys as young as six, spent two years working as a customer service apprentice at the authority between August 2013 and June 2015.

This was despite the fact that the 20-year-old was first caught with more than 600 images and sentenced in 2014, while under the employment of the borough council.

McMillan was slapped with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for his first offence and it was due to one of the conditions, that police could spot check his electronic devices , that he was caught with a further 192 images in January this year.

He continued to work for the authority up until June 2015, when he resigned, just three months before his second sentencing in September.

A council spokesman said this week: “Daniel McMillan was employed by the council between August 2013 and June 2015.

“The nature of the post he held with the council did not require a Disclosure and Barring Service check (formerly known as a CRB check).

“At no point during the course of his employment was the council aware of any issues regarding these matters or anything similar.”

The news comes months after paedophile Roger Lee was described as a “dodgy weirdo” who lusted after Andover schoolgirls while he worked for the borough council by a former colleague .

The authority did not confirm or deny whether Lee , 45, was an employee at the council, citing data protection laws , but several former acquaintances came for - ward to reveal Lee’ s behaviour.

The former River Way resident was jailed in February after arranging to meet a young girl for sex via an internet chatroom.

But Lee , who already had a previous conviction for sex with a 12-year-old, was set up by a vigilante group who confronted him and shopped him to police