A paedophile who disappeared from South Lanarkshire has been arrested in the Irish Republic.

Fraser Benjamin McLaughlin, of Hamilton, was detained in Dublin after a member of the public tipped off detectives. The child sex offender was spotted in the city after someone recognised him from a mugshot on an online most-wanted list.

The 57-year-old's details had been posted on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) website last Friday.

McLaughlin was last seen boarding a ferry for Northern Ireland earlier this year and had been on the run for several months.

Jim Gamble, Ceop Centre chief executive, said: "Once again we prove that the public are willing and able to help locate convicted missing child sex offenders," he said.

"If McLaughlin thought he could hide then he is tonight learning a lesson. My message to other convicted offenders who think they can also go missing is to look at this story and give themselves up as they too may find their details posted on our site."

Register

McLaughlin, who was missing for several months, could face up to five years in jail for disappearing and failing to notify authorities of his whereabouts. He was required to keep police up-to-date with his movements under the Sexual Offenders Register notification requirements.

He was also wanted for failing to answer bail over previous child abuse image offences.

Detective Inspector David Tassie of Strathclyde Police said: "I am delighted that we now have a result."

McLaughlin is the 19th sex offender to be arrested after details were posted on the Ceop most wanted list since the site was launched in 2006. He is the second Scottish offender to be posted on the site.

So far, details of 21 criminals have been published.