50 police officers arrested in net paedophile raids

Over 1,000 homes have been searched and dozens of arrests made today as part of a huge investigation into an international net paedophile ring.

Among the 7,000 British suspects identified by the US-led investigation were 50 police officers, eight of whom have been charged and the remainder bailed out while the investigation, known as Operation Ore, continues.

The officers were targeted as part of a group of suspects whose jobs gave them special privileges or access to children, according to the BBC.

In all, 34 men were arrested in the early hours of this morning in the London area.

More than 1,300 homes were searched, a large number of computers seized and many arrests made since details of British suspects were passed on by US detectives in May of this year.

The raids began at 5:30am and were the most extensive carried out by the Metropolitan Police as part of its child protection work.