Computer games group Pure Entertainment, which offered free computer games via internet downloading, has surprisingly closed its freeloader.com website and is selling the rest of its technology. Pure Entertainment will either return surplus funds to shareholders or remain listed as a shell. The company was one of the hottest stocks in last year's tech boom, and as recently as February posted an upbeat trading statement in which it revealed a record 9.3 million hits were achieved on freeloader.com for January. Chief executive Bob Dewar also explained at the time that the localised sites in France, Germany and the US had all experienced growth since November. Although Pure Entertainment had made 'significant inroads' into the UK advertising market, revenues outside of the UK for the first quarter of 2001 were 'significantly below expectations'. In order to replicate its UK successes abroad, the company would have to have its own international sales presence or a close partnership. The board was pessimistic about a fundraising in the current market climate. On news of the closure, the shares, which stood at 137p last year, crashed 11p to 3p.