Stewart Brown, 59, was a Labour candidate for the Elland ward in next month's council elections.

But he has now been suspended from the Labour Party.

Officers from the West Yorkshire Police Child Protection Unit arrested Mr Brown on Tuesday. He was questioned by detectives before he was bailed, pending further investigation.

A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "A 59-year-old man was arrested for possession and distribution of indecent images of children.

"Police have been working closely with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre."

Mr Brown, a former Hebden Bridge town councillor and mayor of Hebden Royd, is a father-of-one and lives at Nutclough, Hebden Bridge.

He was a town councillor for more than 12 years and represented the Calder Valley on Calderdale Council between 1996 and 2000. He was Mayor of Hebden Royd in 2006.

Mr Brown is a retired senior environmental health officer and, as part of his current election manifesto, has pledged to restore pride in Hebden Bridge.

He was not in at his Hebden Bridge address last night and neighbours said they had not seen him there for several days.

One resident said: "Stewart is usually here but I saw him three or four days ago and that was the last time."

He has represented a number of organisations, including the Calderdale Green Forum, Calder Civic Trust, and the Council for the Preservation of Rural England and the Hebden Bridge and District International Group.

Mr Brown was also chairman of the Labour Party's Calder Valley branch.

A spokesman for the Labour Party said: "Stuart Brown has been suspended from the Labour Party pending the completion of an investigation."

A spokesman for Calderdale Council said election rules mean a candidate's name cannot be taken off the ballot paper once nominations close.