FORMER Labour MP Eric Joyce has admitted to making an indecent image of a child. 

He pleaded guilty at Ipswich crown court to the offence, which took place between 7 August 2013 and 6 November 2018.

Judge Emma Peters said a 51-second film, found on a device, “depicts a number of children” including a 12 month old baby.  

The disgraced politician now faces a prison sentence.

Peters said the film found on Joyce's device was "clearly" a category A offence - the highest possible for indecent images of children. It's defined as "images involving penetrative sexual activity or possession of images involving sexual activity with an animal or sadism".

The judge said Joyce, who appeared at court in person, “says he accesses it via an email which he says was a spam email”.

“At the time he was drinking heavily and he has now undergone work with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and a psychotherapist,” the judge said.

She ordered a report be prepared before Joyce is sentenced on 7 August.

Joyce claimed that the film arrived on his computer in a spam email, but he admitted having knowledge of it. He also admitted in court that he had searched for indecent images of children on the internet.

Judge Peters warned the former shadow minister, of Worlingworth, Suffolk, that the offence crossed the custody threshold. “It’s going to be a question of whether it’s immediate or suspended,” she said.

“You will be required to sign paperwork today acknowledging that you are immediately on the sex offenders’ register,” she said.

She said the court “takes such incidents very seriously” as they “fuel the abuse of children”.

The defendant was granted bail until he appears before the court again.

He was charged under the Protection of Child Act after being arrested on in Worlingworth on November 6, 2018.

He was then released under investigation until being summonsed to appear before magistrates earlier this week.

Joyce issued a statement about this charge on his website in June.

He said: "The matter of my charge, announced today, will be dealt with in the first instance on 7 July at Ipswich Crown Court.

"I will make no comment from now until all legal processes are at a close. At that point, I will make a full statement."

Joyce, a former Major in the army, was kicked out of the Labour party after a drunken attack in the Commons bar in 2012.

He was arrested five times during his last five years as an MP.

He was Falkirk's MP for 15 years, winning the seat in a by-election in 2000.

An NSPCC Scotland spokesperson said: “Within horrendous content like this are young victims of child sexual abuse who will take a very long time to recover from their ordeals.

“There is a sickening online trade in this content and tech firms must step up to help law enforcement stamp it out. It’s also critically important that offenders undergo all appropriate rehabilitation.”