Fake 'offenders' list discovered

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/essex/7795330.stm

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An investigation has started after a faked police document listing a number of innocent people as serious offenders was found in an Essex street.

Essex Police condemned the person behind the document, which had a false police crest on it, and said it could have had "dangerous" consequences.

A spokesman said the document was found by a resident near Ghyllgrove Community Junior School in Basildon.

He said the people named in the document had been contacted by police.

Det Supt Gareth Wilson warned if the fake document had fallen into the wrong hands it could have jeopardised the safety of those named.

He said: "While we do not know what the motive behind this reckless act is, whoever is responsible will have known that it could have placed innocent people in a very difficult situation.

"There are some people who do act unlawfully so the outcome could have been very different."