POLICE are using the latest technology and a social networking website to spread their rape awareness message.

As part of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary's sexual offences awareness campaign, which is running this week and includes the release hard-hitting cinema advert, the force is making use of the Facebook website and Bluetooth devices.

The force says it is the first time it has used such a website to communicate targeted crime prevention messages.

Two separate adverts have been produced to target men and women. The male advert reminds users in the two counties that "no consent + sex > rape" while the female advert aims to remind women that "rapists are not always strangers".

The Bluetooth campaign will see a mini-story extension of the cinema advert sent to receptive devices in pubs and nightclubs in Devon and Cornwall.

A spokesman for the force said the Bluetooth campaign would tell the same story from both the male and female perspective, naming characters from the cinema adverts as Dan and Chloe.

They added: "We are really excited to be using new media in this way.

"We haven't used Facebook in a crime prevention before, but we are always looking at new and innovative methods to get crime prevention messages to traditionally hard to reach audiences.

"Advertising on Facebook is a low cost method of really targeting our messages to specific audiences at a local level."

Det Supt Michele Slevin, the force's sexual offences lead, said: "We want to challenge some of the common misconceptions surrounding rape and sexual offences.

"Rape can affect people of any age, gender or sexual orientation, but we are trying to educate people at a younger age when they are starting to have sexual relations, so that they really understand the facts and the law surrounding rape."

DS Michele Slevin and DI Charlie Pitman will be taking part in a live online debate on The Herald's website tomorrow.

Between 1pm and 3pm the two senior detectives will answer your questions live at www.thisisplymouth.co.uk

Simply visit the site from 1pm on Friday to submit your questions, with no details passed on to the police unless you specifically request it.

The senior officers will try to answer as many of your questions as possible within the two-hour session.

Devon and Cornwall police have released a rape awareness campaign video which will be shown in cinemas across the West Country.