DETECTIVES were last night chasing more than 20 new leads after dramatic video footage of the looting in Birmingham was aired on BBC’s Crimewatch.

The shocking footage shows louts using fire extinguishers, chairs, metal poles, bricks and their feet to smash through windows and enter shops as looters ran amok in the city centre.

It was released as the hunt intensified to identify the yobs who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage, and was featured on a special episode of the crimefighting programme.

A force spokesman said they had received 22 new leads as a result of the appeal.

Meanwhile, close to one million hits have been made since the start of August to the West Midlands Police website featuring images of more than 250 suspects wanted for looting. The force has also received more than 800 e-mails with information.

Det Ch Insp Steven Reed said: “We have teams of detectives ploughing through all of the information that has come to us from the public, determined to catch everybody involved.

“The incident room has been inundated with calls since we started the investigation last Tuesday, not to mention the pictures and videos that people captured during the disorder that have been e-mailed in.”

More than 500 people have been arrested since the inquiry began.