POLICE in Dorset say they are committed to tackling paedophiles who view images of child abuse online after it was revealed that 10,000 Brits were members of 'dark web' site Paradise Village.

Dorset's Paedophile Online Investigation Team - known as POLIT - targets those who use the internet to groom or meet children, as well as those who download indecent images.

Officers from the team have reaffirmed their promise to tackle online paedophilia after an investigation by a national paper found thousands of paedophiles in the UK joined one of the largest online networks for sharing child sex abuse images.

The offenders had been members of Paradise Village, accessed through the 'dark web', which allowed paedophiles to trade indecent pictures.

Worldwide web content that is not part of the ‘surface web’ – also known as ‘dark web’ – can only be accessed using dedicated software.

The term refers to a collection of all websites and databases that search engines like Google don’t or can’t index, which is many times larger than the web as we know it in terms of volume of information.

Users of Paradise Village were exposed after hackers managed to get hold of their data from its server, Freedom Hosting II, and post it online.

Around six per cent of those accessing the the site were in the UK and are believed to have included the governor of a boarding school, a former children's hospital worker and a university lecturer, The Times reported.

The paper said it is handing over the details of 50 British users extracted from the data to the National Crime Agency (NCA).

A spokesperson from POLIT said: "Dorset Police is committed to ensuring we minimise the risk to children by proactively identifying people who use the internet to further their sexual interest in children.

"POLIT works very closely with other police forces , the National Crime Agency and other agencies inside and outside of the UK to identify offenders using the internet, including the dark net.

"We urge anyone to contact us directly or Crimestoppers if they suspect someone is using the internet to groom or gain indecent images of children. We would also urge those who have a sexual interest in children to seek help by visiting a number of sites including Stop it Now Lucy Faithful Foundation, the Samaritans or their GP."

A spokesperson from the National Crime Agency said: "We are aware of the material derived from the Freedom Hosting II hack and are working with international law enforcement partners.

"As enquiries are ongoing, we cannot comment further.”

It was last year confirmed that more officers are being tasked to deal with child sexual exploitation and online investigations into paedophiles.

The deputy chief constable of Dorset Police has confirmed that dealing with offenders responsible for such crimes is a "priority area".

DCC James Vaughan said: "Protecting and safeguarding the most vulnerable in Dorset has always been a priority, and will continue to be a key focus for the force."