THERE was nowhere he could hide. Even a field in a remote area of North Yorkshire, away from the busy streets of York and Selby, provided no safe hiding place for Britain's most wanted man.

Fugitive Hobson made no resistance when police caught up with him; he was dehydrated and weak after six days on the run, and had been moving around locations in the largely rural area where he was found.

His fatal error was visiting a service station on the A19, near Shipton, to stock up on water, cigarette papers and matches.

After police released details of the man they wanted in connection with the four killings, Hobson's face was on every front page, on television screens across the globe, and on leaflets handed out at York racecourse and at York City football matches.

His image was also across the side of a van driven by police community support officers around North Yorkshire with a telephone number for the public to call if they saw Hobson.

With so much publicity being generated, garage owner Derek North was in no doubt the customer was Hobson, and immediately called the police.

The constant media attention on the case, the sustained efforts by police to make the killer's image as widely distributed as possible, and a devised strategy to keep the story in the Press led to Hobson's downfall.

Detective Chief Constable Roger Baker said: "The media played a significant part in Mark Hobson's capture, ensuring when he did break cover, he was instantly recognised.

"We are also grateful to the way the Press reassured the public, ensuring that everything was being done to find him."

From the moment the bodies were discovered, North Yorkshire police launched a round-the-clock operation to find the killer, which cost almost £700,000.

During the investigation, officers collected 1,615 exhibits, 1,205 statements, 3,130 lines of inquiry were pursued and 17,500 documents were collated.

More than 500 officers were employed on the case from 12 police forces, and experts were drafted in from the Forensic Science Service, the National Crime Faculty, the Metropolitan police specialist unit, and included some who investigated the Soham murders, as well as psychologists and geographical plotters.

Extensive efforts were also made to reassure the communities of Strensall and Camblesforth.

Officers visited 1,336 homes to make checks on householders, and if no one was home, inquiries were made to locate them and check on their well-being.

Pubs, taxi firms, railways stations, and other businesses were also visited in the hope of finding Hobson.

The police control centre took calls day and night from the public reporting suspected sightings of the murderer. During the course of the inquiry, they received 1,800 reported sightings. There were 340 from the North Yorkshire area, and others from as far as Ireland, France, California and New Zealand.

Detective Inspector Dai Malyn said: "The operation was carried out by very professional, determined, dedicated police officers and support staff, and supported by the local and national media. It was a tremendous challenge for the force, but a challenge that was more than met."