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Internet trolls praise suspected police killer

PUBLISHED September 19, 2012
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Internet trolls used social networking sites to praise the alleged murderer for his actions, setting up groups to support him.

Fan pages on Facebook called him a "hero" and a "legend", with sickening inflammatory messages being posted by users.

One suggested he ought to be awarded an OBE, writing: "Every police officers death is a course (sic) for celebration".

Naming the suspect, he wrote in various semi-literate posts: "Think ill send dale a postal order to show my appreceation for the good work he done.

"Its good that 2 more scum police are dead and off the streets thumbs up 2 that 🙂

"BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG 2 officers down LEGEND."

Other Facebook users called him a "sick and pathetic excuse for a human".

Defending himself in a typically misspelled post, the creator of one grouo wrote: "Were all entitled to are own opinion."

The instigator of another group told his supporters: "So a pair of coppers got killed who gives a f*** ?

"Why's everyone geting (sic) upset over some dead bacon for ?"

Dozens of Twitter and Facebook users immediately called for the groups to be banned and the creators identified.

One wrote: "I'm at a loss to explain why anyone would set up such a Facebook page."

Fiona Bone, 32, and her colleague Nicola Hughes, 23, were on a routine patrol in the Mottram district of Greater Manchester when they responded to reports of a house burglary on the Hattersley Estate.

Shortly before 11am the pair, who were unarmed, arrived at terraced property in Abbey Gardens in a marked police car.

As they approached the house, a man suddenly emerged and fired more than ten times at them before throwing a grenade in their direction.

Both women were fatally injured, one dying at the scene while paramedics were unable to save her colleague.

A short time later Dale Cregan, 29, who was wanted in connection with the murders of father and son, David and Mark Short, in separate gun and grenade attacks, walked into nearby Tameside police station and gave himself up.

Police said they believed Cregan or someone acting on his behalf had deliberately called the police to report a bogus burglary in a bid to lure officers into a deadly ambush.

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