INVESTIGATORS have stepped up the hunt for a wanted man from Bury who is believed to have fled to Spain.

Steven Carruthers, aged 43, was arrested in March 2014 when police found over 5,000 indecent images of children on his computer.

He denied committing any offences and was given bail to re-attend the police station but failed to answer his bail.

Now he is one of the ten remaining fugitives who feature on the National Crime Agency’s Operation Captura, which aims to locate individuals on the run in Spain who are wanted by UK law enforcement agencies for serious crimes committed in the UK.

The operation, run with Crimestoppers and Spanish law enforcement, has to date seen 53 of the 65 individuals arrested since the campaign launched in October 2006, and a further two have been removed from the list for other reasons.

Many of those arrested are now serving lengthy prison sentences for their crimes, which include drug trafficking, sex crimes and murder.

But Carruthers, whose last known address was in Ambleside, Cumbria, is still at large as the NCA focuses its efforts on catching the final ten fugitives.

He is wanted by Cumbria Police on suspicion of 18 offences of making indecent photographs of a child after his computer was found by officers to contain to contain 5,332 indecent images of children.

The most serious of the images showed contact sexual abuse between adults and children.

He is described as 172cm tall, of medium build, with short brown hair or a shaved head and as having blue eyes.

Awareness of Operation Captura is being highlighted across Spain in areas with a large British expatriate community such as Malaga and Alicante, which are potential hideouts for fugitive on the run from British law enforcement.

Roger Critchell, director of operations at Crimestoppers, said: “We are down to the final ten remaining fugitives left on the run from our Operation Captura campaign. The success of these appeals means that they won’t be out there for long.

“If you call us, no-one will ever know you who you are and you will not go to court.”

Dave Allen, head of the fugitives unit at the NCA, said the remaining ten on the agency’s list, who may well still be hiding out in Spain, should expect to be brought before UK courts.

“The National Crime Agency will continue to work with the Spanish authorities and develop partnerships across law enforcement to make sure criminals cannot flee justice,” he added.

To join the fight against crime and to view the appeals about fugitives in Spain visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Alternatively you can all Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 from the UK or 900 555 111 if you are calling from Spain.