Police ask for help to trace paedophile

Scotland Yard has launched a nationwide appeal for help in tracing one of Britain's most wanted convicted paedophiles.

Detectives have been searching for Warwick Spinks, 36, since he breached the conditions of his licence after being released from prison nearly four years ago. Spinks, who had served two-and-a-half years of a five-year sentence at Elmley Prison in Sheerness, Kent, was ordered by the Home Office to return to jail.

He was convicted of taking indecent photographs of children and abducting a child at Lewes Crown Court in February 1995. Spinks was released on licence in July 1997, but was reported to have fled the country two months later after refusing to be listed on the national sex offenders register.

Police believe Spinks may not be in London but could be in another part of the country. Anyone with information should contact the Metropolitan Police Child Pornography Information Line on freephone 0808 100 0040 or the paedophile unit on 020 7230 3104.