Poison pen writer targets shops

The writer sometimes signs himself as "Soldier David"

A poison pen letter writer has been waging a two-year hate campaign against shops selling fireworks, police on Teesside have revealed.

The anonymous writer has also telephoned stores and made death threats against staff.

Inspector Colin White of Cleveland Police said the man has waged a campaign against named individuals and other shop staff at Thornaby.

Police have drawn up a psychological profile of the man in a bid to try to catch him.

He told one [member of staff] 'When you come out of the shop I'm going to murder you'

Barrie Hodgson, store security manager

Mr White said: "These letters have caused untold anguish and distress to the recipients.

"In one he described how he was going to stab someone but had to put his blade away because there was a potential witness.

"I think he is a sick individual.

"Although none of the threats made in the letters have been carried out this man is a danger and he needs to be caught."

The writer - who sometimes signs himself as Soldier David - is believed to be local and aged over 25, according to the psychological profile

DNA profile

Police have now identified his DNA and fingerprints and have appealed to the public for help.

One letter reads: "What we need is another Dunblane-type massacre, although remove the few good kids, and target the scumbags."

In another, he sent the rhyme: "Kidsnatcher, kidsnatcher out on Hallowe'en, can he kill a kid without being seen?

"The dark days are on their way, pretty soon we'll be killed as we play."

A chain of local convenience stores which has been targeted several times has put up a reward for information leading to his arrest.

Death threats

Barrie Hodgson, security manager for Bells Stores in Thornaby, said: "He merely talks to whoever picks up the phone and they are all subject to the same level of intimidation.

"He threatened to burn a shop down, to follow staff home, to identify their children and attack and assault them and even to burn their own houses down.

"He told one [member of staff] 'When you come out of the shop I'm going to murder you'."

The Asda supermarket has also been targeted with 20 letters and a similar number of phone calls.