Hackers steal US police data

Anonymous, the online activism group, said yesterday it had hacked into 70 law enforcement websites in the US in retaliation for the arrests of supporters in Britain and the US.

The hackers claimed to have stolen 10 gigabytes of data, credit card details, e-mails and information from police bodies.

A statement said: "We are releasing a massive amount of confidential information that is sure to embarrass, discredit and incriminate police officers across the US."

The group hopes the leak will "demonstrate the inherently corrupt nature of law enforcement using their own words" .

Jake Davis, 18, from the Shetland Islands, was charged with five offences relating to computer attacks and break-ins by the Lulzsec and Anonymous hackers this year.