THREE Hampshire men were being quizzed today following a national police crackdown on Internet paedophiles.

The three were among more than 30 people arrested as part of Operation Ore, which targeted computer users accessing pay-per-view websites based in the United States.

Police said the sites had been selling horrific images of sexual abuse of children as young as five.

In Hampshire, detectives from the force paedophile and child protection units, both based at Netley, and divisional officers from across the county took part in a series of carefully co-ordinated raids.

Led by Det Insp Chris Seymour, head of the child protection unit, three men were arrested in the Southampton, Fareham and Portsmouth areas.

All were being questioned at Hampshire police stations.

Detectives in Hampshire also raided premises as part of the operation after obtaining search warrants from magistrates, with a quantity of computer equipment being seized.

The nationwide operation was co-ordinated by the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the National Crime Squad in London. Thirty police forces across the country were involved, with around 50 houses and flats searched.

Det Supt Peter Spindler, of the National Crime Squad, said: "This is an excellent example of all the UK policing agencies coming together in a co-ordinated way to tackle a relatively new and growing problem.

"This is the first time we have targeted people who use the Internet to buy images of children being sexually abused.

"We will continue these operations to protect children and show paedophiles that law enforcement agencies will find them regardless of which area of the Internet they use."

The websites acted as a shop window to other sites carrying similar images.