Most Wanted Fugitives Hunted On The Costas

British investigators are touring Spanish resorts with giant mugshots of 18 fugitives thought to be hiding on the costas.

The Rogues Roadshow is a new attempt to find suspects who have managed to avoid capture in previous Most Wanted TV and newspaper appeals.

The roadshow, with 13ft-high photographs displayed along the sides of a lorry, is travelling from Benidorm on the Costa Blanca to Marbella on the Costa del Sol.

It will call at beach promenades, shopping malls and nightclubs where expats, holidaymakers and Spanish residents will be urged to report any faces they recognise.

Since the launch of Operation Captura in 2006 police have appealed for help in tracking down 86 British fugitives on the run in Spain - and 68 of them have been caught.

The 18 still at large are wanted for a variety of serious crimes including murder, rape, drug trafficking and sex attacks.

Dave Allen, of Britain's National Crime Agency, said: "We decided to try a different initiative after the success of TV and newspaper appeals.

"This time we are getting into the faces of the outstanding fugitives by taking the campaign right to their doorstep, showing their photographs in the heart of the places they and their neighbours frequent."

Police are particularly keen to identify a group of the 18 fugitives who they believe are a threat to the communities in which they are hiding.

The five are: Kevin Parle, Anthony Dennis, David McDermott, Robert Mortby and Derek Ferguson.

Kevin Parle, 35, is wanted by Merseyside police for two murders in Liverpool. He is 6ft 6in tall, with red hair and a Scouse accent.

Robert Mortby, 27, is wanted by Scotland Yard on suspicion of attempted murder over the shooting of a man in a South London pub.

David McDermott, 41, is thought to be a member of a gang which smuggled cocaine hidden in a container of frozen Argentinian beef at Tilbury Docks in 2013.

Anthony Dennis, 47, from London, is suspected of trafficking three tonnes of cocaine from South America to Holland. He is 5ft 3in tall with a small scar on the right of his forehead.

Derek Ferguson, 51, is wanted in Scotland on suspicion of the murder of Thomas Cameron at the Auchinairn Tavern in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, in 2007. He is between 5ft and 5ft 2in tall.

Crimestoppers Director of Operations Roger Critchell said: "This is something we've never done before but we believe that broadcasting these fugitives' faces right in their back yards will not only encourage the public to speak up, but will show these individuals that there really is nowhere to hide."

Anyone in Spain with information is urged to call Crimestoppers anonymously on a freephone Spanish number, 900 555 111, or from the UK on 0800 555 111. They can also email details at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.