Expat makes citizen's arrest against suspected paedophile

An expatriate living in Spain's Costa del Sol made a citizen's arrest on a man she recognised from a crime suspect TV programme, the Lancashire Telegraph has reported.

Michelle Mackenzie, originally from Lancashire, told the paper how she identified Glen Tranter from Crimewatch, a BBC programme she had watched on satellite television.

She called the suspect, who is currently number two on Crimewatch's current most-wanted list, to pick her up in his taxi from the popular expat bar Sizzles in Benalmadena, the paper said.

When Mr Tranter arrived, Ms Mackenzie grabbed him in an arm lock and held him down on a table outside the bar, telling him that she was making a citizen's arrest and that he would be handed over to police because he was wanted in Britain.

The expat woman told the paper: "I used self-defence tactics I learned in my previous job at Broadmoor [the high-security psychiatric hospital], where staff have to know how to look after themselves."

Mr Tranter was wanted in relation to eight charges of sexual offences against girls under 16.

He is being detained in Malaga while preparations to transfer him to Madrid for an extradition hearing continued, Sky News reported.