Abuse accused arrested in Spain

Mr Glaetzner had been due to appear at the High Court in Fofar in 2002

A man who absconded more than six years ago while facing charges of sexually abusing two young girls has been arrested on the Costa del Sol.

Rolf Dieter Glaetzner was arrested by Spanish police specialising in tracking down foreigners hiding in Spain while on the run from other countries.

Mr Glaetzner, 47, was due to appear at the High Court in Forfar in 2002 but did not turn up.

He was detained by police at an industrial estate in Spain.

Mr Glaetzner, originally from Germany, will now appear before an investigating judge at the National Criminal Court in Madrid, which handles all extradition cases.

If he agrees to return, he could be escorted back to Scotland by officers from Central Scotland Police within a week or two.

But if he decides to fight extradition he could face months behind bars in a top security prison in Spain, before a full hearing is held in front of a panel of three judges at the National Court.

A spokeswoman for Central Scotland Police said: "Central Scotland Police is aware that a 47-year-old man, who was the subject of an outstanding warrant, has been arrested in Spain and we are currently in liaison with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and Spanish authorities."

A spokesman for COPFS said: "We are in liaison with the Spanish authorities and extradition proceedings are underway."