UK police use website in hunt for Kiwi murder suspect

A website aimed at catching a New Zealand fugitive suspected of killing a gay man in his UK home will stay live until he is found, police say.

British detectives have issued a 5000-pound ($NZ 9585) reward for information leading to Ricardo Pisano's arrest.

Pisano walked out of Tongariro/Rangipo Prison 11 years ago. He had served eight months of a 15-month sentence for extortion when he escaped from a work party.

British police have taken the unusual step of creating a website about the death of Michael Polding, whose decomposing body was found in his Brighton flat in July last year.

Mr Polding, 63, died of multiple injuries and his body may have lain undiscovered for two months.

Police believe Pisano was living in the victim's flat at the time of his death.

Detective Inspector Jon Fanner of Surrey and Sussex police said the website had generated a good deal of interest in Britain and abroad "which has enabled us to continue our search for Ricky''.

"It will remain live until he is found and can be questioned in relation to Michael Polding's death. We have been working with a number of international law enforcement agencies including New Zealand as we conduct our search for him,'' he said.

New Zealand police said they were continuing to liaise with British police and providing whatever assistance they could.

A police spokesman would not say whether they would seek to extradite Pisano if he was captured.

He uses several aliases including Ree, Ricky, Ricardo Pisano and the name he was jailed under in New Zealand aged 24, Brandon Victor Pillay.