A UNIVERSITY lecturer accused of downloading child porn has decided to press on with his trial despite being offered the chance of a retrial after it was discovered there had been an 'irregularity' in court procedure.

Julian Myerscough was making his closing speech to the jury at Ipswich Crown Court when it was realised that the prosecution barrister, who had addressed the jury earlier in the day, should not have made a closing speech to the jury as Myerscough is representing himself.

Myerscough, a criminal law lecturer at the University of East Anglia, told the jury the closing speech by the prosecution had been an 'oversight' and he had decided not to make anything of it.

He explained he could have asked for the current jury to be discharged and to start again with a new panel.

However he had decided to carry on as he was satisfied there hadn't been any malice on the part of the prosecution.

'I want to get it sorted now. I've got nothing to hide, that's why I am carrying on,' he said.

Myerscough, 48, of Alexandra Road, Lowestoft, has denied 16 offences of making indecent images of children between 1999 and June 17 last year and four offences of possessing indecent images of children.

During the trial, which is in its third week, it has been alleged that more than 1,500 indecent images and movies of children were found on computer equipment seized from Myerscough's home after a tip off from the Child Exploitation and On-Line Protection Unit.

Giving evidence, Myerscough told the court he had no interest in child pornography and had not been responsible for downloading the images.

He also denied ever seeing the indecent images on his computer.

The trial continues today.