A CAMPAIGN to encourage more people to shop suspected paedophiles to police is launched in Hampshire .

Child protection officers want individuals to ring a unique hotline with information about people they believe to have an unhealthy interest in children.

It is hoped everyone from sex shop workers to former abuse victims will call with details about perverts who may be currently un-known to police.

The phoneline, believed to be the first of its kind in Britain, is designed to increase information coming into Hampshire Police's specialist paedophile unit. Abusers being targeted in particular are those without any criminal convictions who may be currently slipping through the net.

Posters are currently being put up across the county in a bid to increase public awareness of the paedophile hotline, which has been in existence for nearly a year but remains relatively unknown.

Detective Superintendent John Fox, of Hampshire Police's specialist investigations department, said: "People who work in the sex industry will undoubtedly come into contact with potential paedophiles.

"This could be through the sale of pornography or by providing a service to those who show some preference towards either the fantasy or real world of child abuse. We need to know who these people are."

He added: "We want to encourage sex industry workers to realise they are an important source of first-hand information and whatever they pass on to us will be treated with the greatest sensitivity.

"But we also want to reach those people who may have been abused in the past and perhaps have never reported the abuse to police, who fear their abusers are continuing with their activities."

Police stressed they did not want to re-open old wounds for former victims, but were anxious to stamp out perverts who were suspected of continuing their vile abuse with other children.

Det Supt Fox said people who had been abused in their past often had vital information which could help police stop the same paedophile putting another child through the same misery.

Posters and letters promoting the hotline are currently going out to local councils and voluntary groups for display at prominent public sites.

In particular, police also want to hear from people who work on chat-lines or in escort agencies who may have their suspicions about certain customers.

Hampshire Constabulary's paedophile unit, based at Netley, was launched last year with the aim of targeting people who exploit children for sexual gratification. Already it has clocked up scores of arrests, with many offenders receiving jail sentences of between three months and 14 years.

Anyone with information about suspected abusers can ring Hampshire police's paedophile hotline on 023 8074 5464.