A man who played a key role in the world's biggest Internet child porn ring was living just yards from the entrance to an Oxfordshire primary school.

Residents in Charlbury have been shocked to learn that 31-year-old computer consultant Ian Baldock was a leading player in The Wonderland Club, an international ring of 180 perverts swapping thousands of photos of children.

In the evidence gathered by a global police operation there was a library of 1,800 computerised videos depicting children suffering sexual abuse.

When National Crime Squad officers swooped on Baldock he was living at Crawborough Villas in Charlbury, right opposite the town's primary school for five- to 11-year-old boys and girls.

Today the school's chairman of governors, Adrian Taylor, said he was surprised by the revelation.

"I have been chairman since the beginning of 1998 and during that period have never been made aware, from the police or anyone else, that this man was living there," Mr Taylor said.

Baldock, who was arrested in September 1998, seems to have kept a low profile in the town. Neighbours said they cannot remember him.

Graeme Widdows, who rents several properties at Crawborough Villas, said: "It doesn't ring a bell with me. I don't think we rented anything to him."

Another nieghbour David Hailliwell said: "I do not recall anyone of that name."

Parish council chairman Nick Potter said: "It is all thoroughly shocking when you find that someone like that has been living among you, and opposite the community's school. It is deeply depressing when you hear of something like this."

Baldock's Charlbury connection was revealed in BBC's Panorama programme this week on The Wonderland Club. It featured footage of Crawborough Villas and the school and the local railway station where he is alleged to have cycled before catching a train to work.

The National Crime Squad confirmed he had lived in the town at the time of the raids.

Baldock, now living at St Leonard's, Sussex, was among seven men due to be sentenced today at Kingston Crown Court after pleading guilty to charges of conspiring to distribute indecent images of children.