Criminals in Leicestershire could find their faces in print as the Leicester Mercury runs a “rogues’ gallery”.

The regular page will include CD-fit images drawn up by witnesses and crime victims as well as still pictures taken from CCTV cameras.

The newspaper has used the idea before with successful results, including a jail term for the mugger who recognised himself in the paper.

The man mugged 90-year-old Beatrice Still and left her dazed and injured on the floor making off with just £3.70.

The mugger, Thomas Boyer, handed himself into police the day he saw his picture printed in the newspaper and three months later began a four-year jail sentence.

Beatrice Still said: “I support what you are doing and I hope people do look at the pictures to see if they know who the people are.”

The police have also given their support to the newspaper and Inspector Daimon Tilley said: “This is an excellent idea.

“We get lots of CCTV footage of people who have captured on camera who have committed offences.

“Following a racial attack the Mercury put CCTV photos of the offenders in the paper and by the next day three of them have been identified by members of the public. Three days later two more had been identified by readers.

“The more people who get to see the images the better. Nine times out of 10 in the case of local crimes, local readers know who that person is.”

The newspaper hopes to run the page at least once every two months.

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