Child abuse police seek 'witness'

Police are urgently trying to identify a man who could hold vital information about a case of child abuse.

As part of their public appeal, police at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) Centre released CCTV images of the man walking around a supermarket in Doncaster.

Officers at the Ceop Centre are stressing that this man is not a suspect and is sought as a potential witness in an ongoing investigation.

It is hoped he may hold that vital, final piece of the jigsaw that will help in the rescue of a young child.

Further to an initial appeal on 15 December which was featured on BBC1 Crimewatch, Ceop is still urging as many people to have a look and to see if they recognise this man.

He is described as white, 30 to 40 years old and 5ft 8in to 6ft tall. He is of a medium to stocky build with short closely cropped brown hair, which has receded.

He was seen in an Asda store in Doncaster at 6.30am wearing blue jeans and a dark coloured jacket with a lighter grey horizontal stripe at chest height. He is also thought to have links to the Midlands.

Detective Constable John Hodge, who works at the Operations Faculty at the Ceop Centre, said: "We are asking the public to come forward and help us identify this man.

"As a key witness, we believe he may have vital information that could help us identify a child at risk. He may not even realise that he possesses information that could help, so it is vital we trace him.

"We are asking the public to look closely at this picture and to visit us if they can at ceop.gov.uk and look at actual CCTV footage, and if in any way they feel they know him, or know where he may be, then please get in touch".

Anyone with information should contact the incident room at Ceop Centre on or call anonymously at Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

ITN.