POISON pen letters falsely naming neighbours as paedophiles are doing the rounds in Runcorn.
Police believe an extremist animal rights group is behind the slanderous campaign, hoping to stir up community hatred against targeted individuals.
The allegations have been posted through doors and pasted up in public giving graphic details of a fictional sex attack and urging the recipient to confront the person named to 'let him know you know'.
But Cheshire Constabulary and Greater Manchester Police, who are jointly investigating the letters, say the men and women named are not being investigated for any such offences, and have urged anyone who receives such correspondence to hand it over to the police for forensic testing.
A police spokesman said: 'This is a tactic known to be used by animal rights extremist groups against target companies and individuals.
'It is intended to cause maximum distress and adverse community impact on the person named in the correspondence.'
In Runcorn, one of the worst affected areas was Norton, where posters were plastered all over a phone box 'naming and shaming' a local resident - a man who police stress is not under suspicion of any crime - and encouraging people to confront him with these allegations.
The police spokesman said enquiries had revealed the 'wholly false and uncorroborated' claims were being made against individuals known to be targeted by animal rights group Shac - but stressed that none of those named had any connection with the animal research industry.
He said: 'This ordeal is very distressing for victims of these crimes and their families.
'They and the public can be confident the police will do everything in their power to bring to justice the minority of activists intent on committing crimes to further their cause.'
Anybody who receives a letter containing similar allegations is asked to keep handling of the paper to a minimum and to preserve it for collection by police, and anyone with information is asked to contact officers on 01244 350000.
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