ALTRINCHAM councillor Matthew Sephton has been arrested and bailed by police investigating suspected offences involving indecent images of children.

National Crime Agency officers arrested the 41-year-old councillor in Maximus Road, in Altrincham, at 6am on Thursday December 1.

The Conservative councillor, who has not been charged, has been suspended from the party and the council group.

He is a teacher at Westmorland Primary School in Stockport and has been suspended by the school until the investigation has concluded.

The school's headteacher, Martin Henderson, wrote to parents explaining the situation.

In the letter, he said: "You may hear from other parents or read on Facebook that there is a report relating to Mr Sephton, a teacher at the school. We can confirm the teacher has been questioned by the National Crime Agency and released without charge pending further investigation.

"Following standard practice and the advice from the Local Authority, the member of staff was immediately suspended from duties at school as a neutral act will not be in school until the investigation has concluded when the situation will be reviewed.”

A Stockport Council spokesman said: “As this is an active investigation by the National Crime Agency, we cannot comment on this further.”

A spokesman for the Conservative Party said: “A member has been suspended from the party and council group pending the conclusion of an ongoing police investigation.

"It is not appropriate to comment further.”

A spokesman for the National Crime Agency said a 41-year-old man had been bailed pending further inquiries.

A Trafford Council spokesman said: “Trafford Council is aware of the situation but cannot comment further due to an ongoing investigation by the National Crime Agency."

The councillor’s party name has been removed from the Trafford Council website. On Cllr Sephton’s profile on the website, the party name has been changed from ‘Conservative’ to ‘None’.

Cllr Sephton’s contact details, including his telephone number and address for constituents’ correspondence, have been removed and replaced with Trafford Town Hall’s general postal address.

The only point of contact is a Trafford Council-allocated email address.

He was elected to Trafford Council to represent the Altrincham ward in 2014.