An Internet watchdog has announced a clampdown on web paedophiles.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has drawn up a list of newsgroups that contain illegal images or advocate paedophilia.
The list names more than 50 newsgroups that regularly carry child abuse images and a further 25 whose names appear to advertise or advocate paedophilia.
The list, which is confidential, will be given to the internet service providers (ISPs) with a recommendation these newsgroups should be removed from their newsfeeds and servers.
If the ISPs fail to remove them, the police will be notified and they could face legal proceedings under the Protection of Children Act 1978.
The announcement comes in the wake of increasing pressure on ISPs to be more aggressive in the way they tackle paedophilia.
The IWF, funded by voluntary subscriptions from the internet industry, was founded in 1996 to examine the growing problem of child pornography on the internet.
It has overseen the removal of about 40,000 child abuse images through its "notice and takedown" procedure and last year it processed 11,357 complaints, 60 per cent of which involved material considered potentially illegal.
The Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) has made it a requirement of membership that IWF notifications be acted upon.
Home Office minister Hilary Benn said: "The Government fully supports the work of the IWF in tackling the growing problem of child pornography and other illegal content posted on the internet.
"Child protection is of the highest priority and we welcome the new stance it has taken on newsgroups.
"There is no justification for any newsgroup containing or claiming to contain child pornography."
IWF's chief executive Peter Robbins said: "We are determined to do everything we can to help prevent dissemination of child abuse images on the internet.
"This initiative shows a firm commitment to close down opportunities for paedophiles to share child abuse images and information."
But a number of cyber libertarians say this and earlier moves by the IWF to force ISPs to close down offending newsgroups go against the original remit of the organisation, which was to act as a mediator between the internet industry and law enforcement agencies.
Some ISPs expressed concern that too much emphasis was being placed on their role in policing internet content and said the police should play a more active role.
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