A RAPIST, a prolific burglar, and a man wanted for attempted murder are among 57 of Thames Valley's most wanted criminals who have been tracked through a new website, a charity says.

More than one in three of the 159 faces featured on Thames Valley Most Wanted pages have been found since it began.

The site is run by independent charity Crimestoppers, which helps police solve crimes.

Julia Hughes, Projects Coordinator for Thames Valley Crimestoppers, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the public’s response to the Most Wanted website.

“The charity wants to send a huge thank you to the people of Thames Valley for contacting it with information that has helped pinpoint and arrest one most Wwnted criminal every week since the website was launched a year ago.

“They have thoroughly embraced the initiative from the start and helped to locate 57 criminals who may otherwise still be ‘at large’.

“And with this success we are asking everyone to visit the website once a week and see who they recognise.”

Currently, Crimestoppers is seeking a number of what it calls 'key fraudsters'.

Fourteen out of 39 faces posted on the site at the moment are suspected of Fraud & Forgery offences – the biggest category of ‘at large’ criminals highlighted on the website.

Det. Chief Inspector Ray Howard of Thames Valley Police said: “The public hold the key to vital information about who is doing what locally and they are generally happy to inform the police directly.

“However there are some people who are often scared to speak out and for this minority Crimestoppers can act as a ‘middleman’ providing a safe way to supply key information on criminal activity.

“The caller remains anonymous whilst we the police get the vital intelligence we require to help keep our communities safe.”

Anyone with information on any of these or other crimes can call, without leaving any contact details or their name on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.