The independent charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information given exclusively to the charity that leads to the arrest of Richard Scatchard.

Scatchard, a convicted sex offender, is wanted for questioning over a murder in Minehead, Somerset and has been added to Crimestoppers list of Most Wanted. He is 70 years old and is originally from Scotland.

The public are advised not to approach Scatchard, but to contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously if they know where he is hiding.

***Crimestoppers is supporting this investigation by offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information the charity exclusively receives – either online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111 at any time – that leads to the arrest of Richard Scatchard. ***

Karen MacDonald, Regional Manager for the West Country at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “This man is dangerous and needs to be found urgently. If you know where he is, but prefer not to talk to the police, you can contact our charity and tell us anonymously what you know.

“As a charity that’s independent of the police, Crimestoppers has always kept its promise of anonymity since we began in the 1980s. Millions of people have trusted us over the decades with their crime information.

“Please call our UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or fill in our website’s secure anonymous online form. No one will ever know you contacted us. We cannot trace your call or track your IP address and we never ask for or record any personal details. By sharing what you know, you’ll be helping to keep communities safe and avoiding any police or court contact. No one will ever know that you got in touch with our charity.”

*** Please Note: Information passed directly to police will not qualify for the reward. The reward will only qualify for information passed to Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 number or via the charity’s website***

Anonymity:

Please note: With Crimestoppers and Fearless, when you visit the sites, computer IP addresses are never traced. Telephone calls are never recorded, there is no caller line display and no 1471 facility. The charity is completely independent of the police and guarantees that your personal identity will always be protected.

Claiming a reward:

The reward will only be payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police. A reward code must be asked for when calling the charity on 0800 555 111. If you contact Crimestoppers via the anonymous online form, the 'keeping in contact’ facility must be used and a reward code must be requested on your initial contact with the charity.

More information about rewards can be found on the Crimestoppers’ website. This reward is available until 6th March 2024 as rewards offered for specific cases expire after three months.