Gwent Police warn people mocking wanted Jermaine Taylor's hair

This police photograph of Jermaine Taylor has been shared more than 15,000 times on Facebook since 7 August

Police in south Wales have warned people who have mocked the hairstyle of a wanted drug dealer that they could find themselves facing prosecution.

A mugshot of Jermaine Taylor, 21, from Newport, was published by police on Facebook after he breached his licence conditions.

It prompted hundreds of jokes, puns and memes among the nearly 90,000 comments left on the Gwent Police Facebook post.

Police later said offensive comments could leave people facing action.

People can be prosecuted for posting offensive messages online.

One contributor joked that police should look in Edinburgh, which hosts the fringe festival, while another said officers were "combing the area".

• Fugitive unhappy with police mugshot posts his own

On Monday, Gwent Police said: "We're really grateful to everyone who is assisting us in locating Jermaine Taylor, and we must admit a few of these comments have made us laugh.

"However, when the line is crossed from being funny to abusive, we do have to make sure we are responsible and remind people to be careful about what they write on social media."

Police said Taylor had breached his licence conditions following his release from prison in December 2018.

He was given a three-year sentence at Cardiff Crown Court in September 2017 for being concerned in supplying controlled drugs.