First EU arrest warrant executed

A man has been arrested on the first European extradition warrant issued in the UK.

Lawrence McMillan, 52, was wanted in Ireland for stealing Rolex watches and a yacht, Scotland Yard said.

The extradition warrants were introduced to speed up the time taken to return someone for trial abroad from 18 months to only three.

Mr McMillan, of no fixed address, is due to appear before Bow Magistrates Court on Friday.

He is accused of taking the three watches in July 2003 from jewellers in Killarney, County Kerry and Galway City, and the yacht from Crosshaven Boatyard in County Cork last October.

The new European warrant came into effect at the beginning of 2004.

It allows extradition without an extradition court hearing, thereby saving time.

There will also be no ministerial involvement, with all extraditions within the EU now a purely judicial process.

Its introduction caused controversy because under its rules suspects can be extradited from the UK, even if what they have done is not a crime in the UK.