Trainee detectives to study Facebook

Detectives will be taught how to track down killers and other criminals on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, police leaders have said.

Sweeping changes have been made to training for thousands of student investigators to bring their work into the 21st century.

They include new information on how to track down suspects through social networking sites, where wanted people may reveal valuable clues.

Updated training exercises also examine how to gather the best information from computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices.

Earlier this year escaped prisoner, Craig Lynch mocked police with clues about his whereabouts on Facebook during four months on the run.

In London, detectives are examining posts on Facebook and Twitter relating to the murder of 17-year-old Marvin Henry during a suspected fight between rival gangs.

Deputy Chief Constable Nick Gargan, acting head of the National Policing Improvement Agency, said updated training is vital.

He said: "This programme is a vital part of the career pathway for detectives and the new training covers sensitive areas of policing where limited guidance existed previously.

"These improvements are exactly what detectives need to tackle the challenges and complexities of modern policing effectively.

"The changes underline the importance to having a national agency to provide guidance and train detectives to a single high standard so they can work on investigations in any part of the country and give their colleagues and the public the best quality service in fighting crime."