The Facebook appeal for more information surrounding the murder of Bristol architect Jo Yeates has already received over 250,000 hits since launching on Monday.

The online campaign by Avon and Somerset Police seeking information on the murder of Yeates includes an online advert which directs viewers to the investigation’s own online appeal and contact the incident room.

Police have said that using the social media website had been more effective than using posters and door drops, with a potential wider reach.

Launching the online campaign earlier this week, Detective chief inspector Phil Jones, explained: "The majority of people these days are spending time on Facebook and other social networking sites; this has become part of everyday routine for many people.”

He continued: "This advert allows us to point people to special features on our website with all the latest information, it allows them to contact the incident room direct online rather than calling in.

"I would once again urge anyone who may have not contacted my team and may have information that could help this enquiry to contact us. Let us decide if this information is significant,” concluded Jones.

He added that Facebook had already been used successfully in a number of high profile cases.