Huw Edwards arrives at court after being charged over indecent images of children

Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has arrived at court, where he faces three charges of making indecent images of children.

The 62-year-old journalist refused to answer any questions as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court wearing a suit and black sunglasses.

The veteran broadcaster is accused of three offences relating to 37 photographs on WhatsApp, including six of the most serious type, which were allegedly shared between December 2020 and April 2022.

According to the charge sheet, Edwards is accused of having six category A images, 12 category B pictures and 19 category C photographs on WhatsApp – offences contrary to sections 1(1)(a) and 6 of the Protection of Children Act 1978.

He was arrested last November by the Metropolitan Police and charged on Wednesday, 26 June, the force said.

Before he resigned on “medical advice” in April after working at the BBC for 40 years, he was the broadcaster’s highest-earning newsreader.

Last week, the BBC’s annual report revealed that his salary increased by £40,000 in the year 2022/24, hitting the pay bracket between £475,000 and £479,999.

Edwards fronted BBC’s News At Ten for 20 years, presenting coverage of key news events including announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s death and presenting coverage of her funeral.

He also presented numerous key royal events, including King Charles III’s coronation last year, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales) in 2011, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018, and the funeral of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 2021.

This is a breaking news story and is being updated