Paedophile Glitter due in London

The 64-year-old spent several days trying to avoid returning to Britain following his release from a Vietnamese jail.

He was refused entry to Thailand twice and Hong Kong once before finally agreeing to leave Bangkok on Thursday on a plane bound for the UK.

Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, is likely to be met by police on his return and forced to sign the sex offenders register after touching down at Heathrow.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm that Mr Gadd has left Bangkok and is heading to the UK."

Glitter had been at the centre of an international game of ping-pong as country after country refused him leave to enter.

The farcical series of events began on Tuesday when Glitter left a Vietnamese prison after serving almost three years for abusing two girls aged 10 and 11.

He was ordered out of Vietnam and travelled to Bangkok, where he was expected to board a flight to Heathrow under the terms of his release.

But on arrival in the Thai capital, Glitter reportedly feigned heart trouble to avoid boarding the UK-bound plane.

After spending around 20 hours in the transit lounge at Bangkok Airport, Glitter boarded a flight to Hong Kong in the hope that he would be accepted there. But the Chinese authorities barred him entry.