Two Cambridgeshire police officers involved in the Soham murder inquiry have been granted bail on charges relating to child pornography offences.

Detective Constable Brian Stevens, 41, and PC Antony Goodridge, 34, were given conditional bail on Saturday but held in custody until Monday following a prosecution appeal.

Judge Nicholas Beddard heard legal arguments in chambers at Ipswich Crown Court, and ruled the pair could be granted bail.

Mr Stevens, who worked as a family liaison officer with the Chapman family, faces three charges, and Mr Goodridge faces four charges - all linked to pictures of children under 16.

Brian Stevens worked on the Soham murder inquiry

The officers were not in court to hear the judge's decision.

On Monday, Cambridgeshire Police confirmed officers from Sussex Police had been invited to review the exhibits process of the Soham inquiry.

Pc Goodridge was one of a number of officers handling exhibits during the investigation.

Both men were arrested on Thursday by detectives from West Midlands Police, and charged on Friday night.

Police stress the charges are unrelated to the case of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells.

Both officers have been suspended from duty.

Memorial poem

The officers were arrested by detectives participating in Operation Ore, the UK arm of a global FBI-led operation codenamed Operation Candyman.

Mr Stevens faces two charges of making an indecent image of a child under the age of 16, and one offence of inciting the distribution of such an image.

The arrests were part of a worldwide operation

He worked as a family liaison officer with the family of Jessica Chapman after Jessica and her friend Holly Wells, both 10, vanished from their home town of Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4.

He also read aloud a poem written by a friend of the family of Jessica at a memorial service held at Ely Cathedral.

Mr Goodridge, an exhibits officer, faces two charges of making indecent images, one of inciting distribution and a further charge of possessing such an image.

Soham school caretaker Ian Huntley has been charged with the murder of the girls who disappeared from the village of Soham in Cambridgeshire on 4 August.

His girlfriend, 25-year-old Maxine Carr - who was a teaching assistant at the girls' primary school - has been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.