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17/11/2005
‘Most Wanted’ site overwhelmed by users
A new FBI-style ‘Most Wanted’ website, launched today by Crimestoppers, has been overwhelmed by deluge of browsers.
The website provides police with the opportunity to publish photographs, CCTV footage and descriptions of Britain’s most dangerous criminals online.
The site proved hugely popular, reportedly receiving 21,000 hits within the first five minutes of its launch this morning. Over 200,000 visitors in the first two hours caused the site to crash, although it is hoped that it will be up and running again by the end of the day.
The site will allow members of the public to leave anonymous tips for police – the first time that police have been able to receive anonymous information via the internet - as well as view the most wanted suspects in their own communities, as well as nationwide.
Mick Laurie, chief executive of Crimestoppers, said: “This is a major step forward for Crimestoppers, being able to use new technology to aid UK policing and help make our communities safer.”
Nick Ross, presenter of BBC’s ‘Crimewatch’ programme, said: “It is astonishing that this has never happened before. Apart from Crimewatch, there is virtually no way of getting national publicity for most cases and many wanted people could just disappear – until now.
“Even the police have no effective way of communicating the huge number of wanted suspects.”
Crimestoppers, which was launched in 1988, is an independent UK-wide charity. Since its launch, it has received more than 640,000 calls with useful information, leading to more than 57,000 arrests and charges.
Each month, the charity receives an average of 6,000 anonymous calls, which lead to more than 500 arrests.
Suspects featured on the website include: Ayub Khan, who is wanted in connection with a double murder in east London in 2003; James Francis Hurley, a convicted murderer, who escaped while being transferred between prisons in 1994; and Joseph Oduguwa, who is wanted in connection with a substantial fraud.
The web-site can be accessed at www.mostwanted-uk.org
(KMcA/SP)
The website provides police with the opportunity to publish photographs, CCTV footage and descriptions of Britain’s most dangerous criminals online.
The site proved hugely popular, reportedly receiving 21,000 hits within the first five minutes of its launch this morning. Over 200,000 visitors in the first two hours caused the site to crash, although it is hoped that it will be up and running again by the end of the day.
The site will allow members of the public to leave anonymous tips for police – the first time that police have been able to receive anonymous information via the internet - as well as view the most wanted suspects in their own communities, as well as nationwide.
Mick Laurie, chief executive of Crimestoppers, said: “This is a major step forward for Crimestoppers, being able to use new technology to aid UK policing and help make our communities safer.”
Nick Ross, presenter of BBC’s ‘Crimewatch’ programme, said: “It is astonishing that this has never happened before. Apart from Crimewatch, there is virtually no way of getting national publicity for most cases and many wanted people could just disappear – until now.
“Even the police have no effective way of communicating the huge number of wanted suspects.”
Crimestoppers, which was launched in 1988, is an independent UK-wide charity. Since its launch, it has received more than 640,000 calls with useful information, leading to more than 57,000 arrests and charges.
Each month, the charity receives an average of 6,000 anonymous calls, which lead to more than 500 arrests.
Suspects featured on the website include: Ayub Khan, who is wanted in connection with a double murder in east London in 2003; James Francis Hurley, a convicted murderer, who escaped while being transferred between prisons in 1994; and Joseph Oduguwa, who is wanted in connection with a substantial fraud.
The web-site can be accessed at www.mostwanted-uk.org
(KMcA/SP)
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