Police to be sued over crime poster

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Colin Joyce, 29, "General" of Manchester's Gooch Gang, and henchman Lee Amos, 33, were jailed for life at Liverpool Crown Court for the murder of a rival at the wake of a man they had earlier executed.

The day after they were jailed, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) launched a campaign showing photos of both Joyce and Amos - alongside "aged" photos of how they will look when they are released - to discourage youngsters from getting involved in gangs.

Colin Joyce, 29, pictured in the poster by Greater Manchester Police, was likened to Al Capone by a judge for turning the streets of Manchester back to the days of prohibition-era Chicago. The posters thanked the public for coming forward with the evidence that convicted them.

But now some relatives of the jailed gangsters say the police have breached their human rights. They have the backing of civil rights group Liberty, who have sent a letter to GMP claiming the posters infringed the relatives' right to privacy under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Some members of the gangsters' families claimed they have suffered a backlash from some of the public following the billboard campaign and want GMP to admit the posters were unlawful and pay compensation.

If GMP refuses, Liberty say they will go to the courts for a judicial review challenging the force's decision to run the campaign. James Welch, legal director for Liberty, said: "This case is not about protecting convicted criminals who are safely behind bars but about safeguarding innocent family members who have done nothing wrong."

Peter Fahy, chief constable of GMP gave a robust response to Liberty's claims, saying: "We are in the business of saving lives and will do all we can to prevent young people falling victim to gun crime and gang life. The poster campaign was part of that drive.

"We appreciate that in all we do we have to consider the human rights of all and that a balancing exercise has to be carried out. In this case we were concerned with the ultimate human right - the right to life and this far outweighed any privacy rights."