April 2017 Blackpool police officer convicted for possession of child sex images A Blackpool police officer has been given a conditional discharge after he was convicted of possession of indecent images of children. PC Andrew Birch, 54, of Blackpool, was summonsed to court in June last year after police received information he was in possession of a number of indecent images of children PC Birch was convicted following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court of one count of possession of indecent images. He was acquitted of a second count. Yesterday he was given a conditional discharge and ordered to sign the sex offenders register and to pay £1500 costs. PC Birch had been suspended from duty immediately the images were discovered to be in his possession. Misconduct proceedings will now follow.