ALMOST 10,000 "inappropriate" images have been found on Notts County Council staff's computers.

They were found when 12% of the authority's computers were scanned in an £82,000 investigation.

More than 2,700 of the images were "highly inappropriate", a category including graphic pornography and pictures "which may cause distress or psychological harm to an unexpected viewer".

The extent of the investigation was revealed in the results of a Freedom of Information request made by the Evening Post.

The council said that three members of staff were sacked.

No illegal images were found, but police were informed after one employee tried to view "inappropriate material" online. No arrest was made.

Another worker resigned after viewing pornography, four were given warnings, two were suspended and five are still under investigation.

Documents show that officers considered halting the investigation because of the likely scale of the problem.

One letter to senior officers said: "The authority's counselling service is available for managers who may wish to use this service should they find difficulty in dealing with the subject matter.

"It is possible that some images will be of a severe nature, with the potential to cause distress to the viewer."

Pornographic websites are blocked but images are believed to have been circulated by e-mail and put on council computers with memory sticks.

The council started its investigation in May last year and used a program called PixAlert to scan PCs.

Councillors' computers will be scanned during the next phase of the investigation.

Results showed the percentage of computers with inappropriate images to be below average so far.

Notts County Council decided to issue a press statement to all local media the day before the Evening Post received the results of the Freedom of Information request.

A staff memo, written in June 2008, said: "It is quite clear that this is a highly sensitive issue which has repercussions in a number of areas, the main being the reputation of the authority should this situation come to the light of the public."

Chief executive Mick Burrows said the investigation would continue for another year, adding: "We have a sophisticated filtering system which greatly reduces the chances of staff being able to download highly inappropriate material from the internet.

"However, we have less control on highly inappropriate images that are viewed on council computers which come from an e-mail attachment, memory sticks or any other devices."

Council leader Coun Kay Cutts said: "Viewing this kind of material on office computers is totally unacceptable.

"I am pleased that senior officers have been proactive in dealing with staff who flout the rules."

chris.birkle@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk