The sight of hundreds of armed officers searching the countryside for a suspected killer obsessed with shooting police is nothing new.

In the summer of 1982 officers from across the UK hunted 37-year-old Barry Prudom in North Yorkshire.

Electrician Prudom had killed two police officers and a civilian as well as injuring a number of others when he was finally cornered in the market town of Malton.

Up to 1,000 officers were involved in the search for Prudom, who was an outdoor and military enthusiast. They found him after 18 days with the help of survival expert Eddie McGee - the Ray Mears of his day.

Prudom was found dead after police opened fire on his hideout but a post-mortem examination found he had already killed himself.

Harry Roberts - who shot three policemen dead in 1966 - lasted longer, using his British Army training to hide in Epping Forest, Essex, for three months, before being captured alive.