The Sussex policeman who led the Sarah Payne murder hunt believes a US abduction alert system could help stop a repeat of the Milly Dowler killing.

Under America's Missing Broadcast Emergency Response (Amber), the moment a child is reported missing TV and radio programmes are interrupted with a newsflash and messages are beamed on to motorway signs.

Chief Superintendent Jeremy Paine, of Sussex Police, said if Britain had had the Amber Alert system it might have helped in the cases of Milly and Sarah, who was murdered by paedophile Roy Whiting two years ago.

Mr Paine may now call on the Government to consider a similar system after seeing it in action in California.

He travelled there as part of a special investigation by ITV1's Tonight With Trevor McDonald.

He will tell the show, screened tonight at 8pm, that he may lobby Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Mr Paine said: "I am absolutely sold on it.

"Whether we can get it up nationally straight away I don't know - that would take a fair bit of money and complete commitment from the whole country.

"Whether we run a pilot in Sussex, and I would be willing to do that, we shall have to wait and see, but the Americans have done it like that."

As police widen the search for Milly's killer and while the country is still coming to terms with the deaths of Soham youngsters Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, Mr Paine believes Amber could have a role in the future.

The system has been operating in the United States - where 2,200 children go missing every day - for six years.

Mr Paine thinks national broadcasters could be persuaded to co-operate, despite the interruption of TV schedules.

He said: "It is not going to happen very often and I know the Americans were worried about this - are they going to get one every day? Is it going to interrupt all their prime time television?

"I think it would be an interesting debate with the broadcaster that said they are not going to do it."