Internet awash with trolls’ vile messages following police shootings
Vile internet trolls branded murder suspect Dale Cregan a ‘legend’ yesterday as they continued to pay homage to him on twisted ‘tribute pages’.
Social networking websites have been awash with comments praising one-eyed Cregan since his arrest – as well as messages attacking the two murdered policewomen.
Trolls on Facebook called him ‘Sir Dale’. Last night, the website’s administrators were criticised for failing to remove the offensive content fast enough.
A webpage describing murder suspect Dale Cregan as 'the greatest legend since Raoul Moat' has been put up on Facebook
Several ‘tribute’ sites were deleted on Tuesday night but were created again yesterday morning and were live for more than five hours.
Numerous people said they had reported the content to both Facebook and Greater Manchester Police.
Julie Reid, councillor for Gorton South in Manchester, wrote on Twitter: ‘Absolutely disgusting Facebook page Dale Cregan Legend needs to be taken down. Some appalling comments’.
On the page entitled ‘Dale Cregan Legend’, someone wrote that Cregan was ‘the greatest legend’.
The pages appeared to be set up anonymously, although some of those commenting appeared to be using their own names.
Victims: PC Nicola Hughes, 23, (left) and PC Fiona Bone, 32, (right) were killed after being attacked by gunfire and a grenade while attending a report of a burglary in the Hattersley area of Greater Manchester
On a page entitled ‘Sir Dale Cregan Is A Hero and a Legend’, Lee McDonald wrote: ‘Haha beauty. And he only had the one eye.’
The trolls also took to Twitter, with a man named Ricky from Dublin writing: ‘Dale Cregan Wat A Hero #F**kThePolice’. Tony Snow from Nottingham also tweeted ‘Dale Cregan u legend’.
The abuse started on Tuesday when messages on Facebook referred to Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes as ‘scumbags’. The creator of one of the pages wrote ‘So a pair of coppers got killed who gives a ****?’
The flurry of abusive messages is called ‘trolling’, where internet users aim vile abuse at certain targets, often celebrities.
Dale Cregan (left) has been arrested in connection with the killings of two police officers in Greater Manchester. Raoul Moat (right)
Blocked: Police cordon off an area near Abbey Gardens in Hattersley, where the two female police officers were gunned down
The messages of praise bore a striking resemblance to the mass outpouring of support that appeared online following the 2010 death of steroid-addicted killer Raoul Moat.
Nearly 30,000 joined a tribute group entitled ‘RIP Raoul Moat You Legend!’
Last night, police said they were aware of the Facebook entries and tweets. Senior officers said they were investigating them to ascertain whether any constituted a criminal offence.
A senior source said: ‘It does form part of our overall inquiry into the case and, although it is not a priority at this stage, inquiries are continuing into the various Facebook entries, tweets and other insensitive remarks.’
A Facebook spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that tribute pages have been removed today because they violated Facebook’s statements of rights and responsibilities.’
Last night Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: ‘Greater Manchester Police is investigating reports of an offensive Facebook page set up following the murders of PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes.’
- Messages supporting suspect Dale Cregan spread across the internet
- Cregan arrested on suspicion of murdering Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes
- Officers died in a gun and grenade attack in Hattersley, Manchester
- Sick internet troll writes: 'So a pair of coppers got killed who gives a ****?'
Vile internet trolls branded murder suspect Dale Cregan a ‘legend’ yesterday as they continued to pay homage to him on twisted ‘tribute pages’.
Social networking websites have been awash with comments praising one-eyed Cregan since his arrest – as well as messages attacking the two murdered policewomen.
Trolls on Facebook called him ‘Sir Dale’. Last night, the website’s administrators were criticised for failing to remove the offensive content fast enough.
A webpage describing murder suspect Dale Cregan as 'the greatest legend since Raoul Moat' has been put up on Facebook
Several ‘tribute’ sites were deleted on Tuesday night but were created again yesterday morning and were live for more than five hours.
Numerous people said they had reported the content to both Facebook and Greater Manchester Police.
Julie Reid, councillor for Gorton South in Manchester, wrote on Twitter: ‘Absolutely disgusting Facebook page Dale Cregan Legend needs to be taken down. Some appalling comments’.
On the page entitled ‘Dale Cregan Legend’, someone wrote that Cregan was ‘the greatest legend’.
The pages appeared to be set up anonymously, although some of those commenting appeared to be using their own names.
Victims: PC Nicola Hughes, 23, (left) and PC Fiona Bone, 32, (right) were killed after being attacked by gunfire and a grenade while attending a report of a burglary in the Hattersley area of Greater Manchester
On a page entitled ‘Sir Dale Cregan Is A Hero and a Legend’, Lee McDonald wrote: ‘Haha beauty. And he only had the one eye.’
The trolls also took to Twitter, with a man named Ricky from Dublin writing: ‘Dale Cregan Wat A Hero #F**kThePolice’. Tony Snow from Nottingham also tweeted ‘Dale Cregan u legend’.
The abuse started on Tuesday when messages on Facebook referred to Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes as ‘scumbags’. The creator of one of the pages wrote ‘So a pair of coppers got killed who gives a ****?’
The flurry of abusive messages is called ‘trolling’, where internet users aim vile abuse at certain targets, often celebrities.
Dale Cregan (left) has been arrested in connection with the killings of two police officers in Greater Manchester. Raoul Moat (right)
Blocked: Police cordon off an area near Abbey Gardens in Hattersley, where the two female police officers were gunned down
The messages of praise bore a striking resemblance to the mass outpouring of support that appeared online following the 2010 death of steroid-addicted killer Raoul Moat.
Nearly 30,000 joined a tribute group entitled ‘RIP Raoul Moat You Legend!’
Last night, police said they were aware of the Facebook entries and tweets. Senior officers said they were investigating them to ascertain whether any constituted a criminal offence.
A senior source said: ‘It does form part of our overall inquiry into the case and, although it is not a priority at this stage, inquiries are continuing into the various Facebook entries, tweets and other insensitive remarks.’
A Facebook spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that tribute pages have been removed today because they violated Facebook’s statements of rights and responsibilities.’
Last night Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: ‘Greater Manchester Police is investigating reports of an offensive Facebook page set up following the murders of PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes.’
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Read more: [URL="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2205209/Manchester-police-shootings-Trolls-vile-messages-following-death-Fiona-Bone-Nicola-Hughes.html#ixzz270bkenF0"]Manchester police shootings: Trolls' vile messages following death of Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes | Mail Online[/URL]
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