West Mercia Police back judge on vigilante 'mob culture' warning

Superintendent Dave Williams said in some cases it could actually jeopardise investigations and make it harder to bring people to justice.

He was speaking after a top judge condemned attacks on the home of Leroi Bailey, from Wem, who was sentenced to a three-year community order this week after admitting downloading indecent images of children.

Judge Jim Tindal, sitting at Shrewsbury Crown Court, hit out at the "mob culture" and said people would find themselves before the courts if they tried to dish out "rough justice" themselves.

He spoke after hearing from Bailey's solicitor Mr Andrew Holland, who said there had been a number of attacks and incidents at his client's home since his case was first publicised.

Bailey admitted downloading indecent images of children, possessing prohibited images of children and possessing extreme pornography and was sentenced at the court earlier this week.

The court heard officers seized a number of computers and hard drives from his home in Cordwell Park last year and found more than 100 indecent images of children on them at the worst Category A level.

Mr Holland said the attacks had made life "very difficult" for Bailey and his partner.

Now a police chief in West Mercia has echoed the judge's call.

Supt Williams said: "West Mercia Police does not condone members of the public taking the law into their own hands.

"We understand that people may want to do all they can to protect children, but certain actions may put vulnerable people, children and police investigations at risk.

"Those they target could destroy evidence before police have a chance to take action and they could very easily jeopardise ongoing police investigations into individual offenders or paedophile networks that they are unaware of.

"They could put children at risk of harm, for example by an abuser who feels targeted or threatened, or the police or other agencies not being able to put measures in place to protect abused children as they would do in their own investigations.

"Protecting children is a complex issue and should be left to the police and other law enforcement agencies.

"It is a priority for West Mercia Police and for some years we have put increased resources into investigating abuse, prosecuting offenders and protecting vulnerable children."

Supt Williams encouraged anyone suffering abuse, or concerned about someone who may be, to contact police or confidential national support agencies such as Childline, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) or Victim Support.