Pervert's face used on poster warning

Police have urged '˜restraint' after vigilantes plastered posters of a local pervert around a Lancashire town.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Mar 2018, 09:12 BST
Updated 22nd Mar 2018, 10:20 BST
The posters that were placed on trees and lampposts around PenworthamThe posters that were placed on trees and lampposts around Penwortham
The posters that were placed on trees and lampposts around Penwortham
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Paedophile hunters lure pervert to station

Laminated posters with the word ‘warning’ in bold red letters at the top featured an image of a paedophile who was caught in a sting after travelling to Blackpool, thinking he was meeting a 12-year-old girl.

Stephen Twyford, 60, was given a suspended jail term last week after pleading guilty to attempting to groom a child.

The posters that were placed on trees and lampposts around PenworthamThe posters that were placed on trees and lampposts around Penwortham
The posters that were placed on trees and lampposts around Penwortham
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In fact, he had been set up by members of paedophile hunting group Action for Kids North West. Now the posters have appeared near his home on Alderfield, in Penwortham, Preston.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “While we recognise concerns from residents, we would urge restraint about such behaviour, particularly around individuals which could be placed at serious risk of harm.”

“Following investigations into the activity of such offenders, the police instigate rigorous safeguarding plans not only around the victims and their families but around the communities in which they live.

“The police and their partners also have a duty to safeguard the suspect and others they are in contact with.

The posters that were placed on trees and lampposts around PenworthamThe posters that were placed on trees and lampposts around Penwortham
The posters that were placed on trees and lampposts around Penwortham
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“While we understand the concerns regarding the activity of convicted sex offenders and the issues they present to the community, we can assure members of the public we are committed to managing them, with our other criminal justice partners, in line with the risk that they present to the community be it online or elsewhere.”