Police swoop on Internet paedophile suspects

Police today raided dozens of addresses across the UK in a dawn operation co-ordinated across 34 police forces, seizing computers believed to contain images of child abuse.

Police today raided dozens of addresses across the UK in a dawn operation co-ordinated across 34 police forces, seizing computers believed to contain images of child abuse.

In the biggest UK operation of its kind, officers with warrants searched 75 addresses in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Several arrests were made.

Among those targeted included teachers, care workers and people working in the medical profession, said police. The youngest was 15 and the eldest 50.

The crackdown, codenamed Operation Magenta, was part of a six-month investigation under the Protection of Children Act.

It focused on paedophiles who used Internet chatrooms to advertise and exchange images of children being abused.

The operation was led jointly by officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary's child protection and investigation unit and Greater Manchester Police's abusive images unit.