'Fred Flintstone' E-fit picture of suspected mugger of pensioner for cigarettes derided online

Kent police force has been mocked for issuing the "worst e-fit ever", after the picture was likened to the cartoon character Fred Flintstone. The image is of a suspect wanted in connection with the mugging of a pensioner for cigarettes and was posted on the Facebook page for the force. But the e-fit's single sideburn and resemblance to the famous Stone Age character have so far yielded only derision from the public, rather than any leads which could establish the identity of the suspect.

More than 100 people have shared the image so far, with many adding observations. Sarah Jane Unsworth described it as "the worst e-fit I've ever seen" and Joe Higson asked: "Did someone at police HQ get carried away with the black pen??" Robbie Britton commented: "By the looks of this you're looking for a guy with a wife called Wilma and a pet dinosaur." Meanwhile Jim Pooley warned: "You see the suspect, yabba dabba, don't approach him."

The force has declined to comment on the quality of the e-fit or the response. The image was posted in connection with a robbery of a 75-year-old man in Cliftonville, Margate, on 26 September. The attack happened at around 10.30pm in an alleyway between Dalby Square and Athelstan Road, close to a car park.

Kent Police said the victim was initially approached by one assailant before two more appeared. The main assailant pushed the victim's head into a wall and the two others then removed cigarettes from his pockets. The victim managed to fight the three offenders off and they ran away, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call Kent Police on 01843 222289, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.