Children sent e-mail rape alert

Police from four forces are investigating nine rapes

Surrey's police chief is e-mailing thousands of schoolchildren warning them how to protect themselves against a rapist, who has attacked nine women in southern England.

In an unusual initiative the e-mail gives information about the hunt for the rapist - codenamed Operation Orb - and advice on personal safety.

Chief Constable Denis O'Connor is sending out e-mails to all schools and youth groups in the country and all 3000 members of staff in his force asking them to pass it on to friends.

"In this way the message is likely to gain rapid and widespread circulation to our target audience,"

Denis O'Connor

He reassures school pupils that stranger rapes are very rare but also warns them about the activities of the man being hunted by police in four force areas in London and the south east.

Mr O'Connor says he wants to communicate directly with young people between the ages of 11 to 18 using a medium they are familiar with.

The police chief said: "I am very aware of the potential for alarm, but feel that I have a duty to give schoolchildren as much specific information about the offences as possible in order that they can take steps to ensure their own personal safety."

'Great concern'

Detectives in Surrey have joined forces with colleagues in Kent, Berkshire and London to track down the serial rapist, who has carried out eight of the nine rapes in the last three months alone.

Police are urging all residents to be vigilant and not to put themselves in danger by walking alone near wooded areas.

Mr O'Connor added: "There is currently a great deal of concern in the community in Surrey, particularly amongst school children, about the series of stranger rapes that we are experiencing.

"I wish to communicate directly to school children in the secondary age range using a medium that they are very familiar with, namely e-mail.

" In this way the message is likely to gain rapid and widespread circulation to our target audience."