A CONVICTED paedophile's plot to evade the law by hiding in London under a new name was foiled by an eagle-eyed Bradford police officer enjoying a break in the capital.

Detective Sergeant Linda Christie spotted Michael McAuliffe purely by chance as she strolled in Leicester Square.

McAuliffe, 50, of Norfolk Square, Haworth, is a closely monitored sex offender after he was convicted of possession of child pornography.

He is registered with West Yorkshire Police and legally bound to notify them of any change of address.

Now he is behind bars for multiple new child porn offences after his plan to change his name to Ashley Peters and go under the radar in London was thwarted.

Det Sgt Christie was walking off her evening meal in Leicester Square when she saw a man handing out leaflets for a business.

When she took a second glance, she recognised the man as McAuliffe, who she knew had previously lived in London.

After his re-arrest, McAuliffe's home was searched and the police unearthed a stash of thousands of revolting photos and movies of children, some at Level 5, the most serious.

Yesterday, McAuliffe pleaded guilty to 23 offences.

They included failing to comply with the requirements of the sex offenders' register by changing his name and address without permission in November last year.

He also pleaded guilty to 17 charges of making thousands of indecent photos and movies of children and four offences of distributing indecent photos of children.

McAuliffe appeared by video link from Leeds Prison and immediately told the court clerk he was pleading guilty to all the charges.

The case was adjourned until July 21 for the preparation of a probation report.

Judge Jonathan Rose said the question of how much danger McAuliffe poses to the public must be addressed.

He remanded McAuliffe in custody and said the only issue was the length of the prison sentence he must serve.

Judge Rose said that as the porn stash included images at the most serious level, a police officer must bring a laptop computer to the sentencing hearing so the judge hearing the case can view them.