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On the run again: Paedophile Gary Glitter seeks police protection after hate mob discovers his seaside bolthole

Updated 11:15am on 28 Aug 2008




Shamed paedophile Gary Glitter has fled the secret seaside hideaway where he had been staying since his return to the UK, it has been revealed.

After his cover was blown, the Glitter spent Tuesday night at a police station amid fears for his safety.

An angry mob of teenagers gathered outside a cottage in the village of Hill Head, near Fareham in Hampshire, where Glitter had sought refuge after returning to Britain.

The youngster chanted 'paedo, paedo' before attempting to break into a garage beside the property.

Startled neighbours were in shock after discovering the convicted paedophile was hiding just yards from their doorstep.

Gary Glitter

Target practice: Teenagers gather outside the house where Gary Glitter had been hiding

The shamed singer's cover was blown after he was spotted venturing outside on a shopping trip.

Glitter, 64, had been given refuge by a friend in the village following his release from a Vietnamese jail.

Gordon Buchanan, who is believed to own the Hampshire house where he was staying, has been a close friend of the troubled star for more than ten years.

Glitter's bolthole was a modest two-storey white brick cottage with a double garage and sailing rib on display on the driveway.

Earlier, an angry teacher staged a protest outside the house. Shaun Gillam, 35, from Hill Head, arrived at the address in a bid to drive the pervert out of his bolthole.

Enlarge Glitter

On the run: Gary Glitter arrives at Heathrow Airport from Thailand. picture David Dyson

He blocked the entrance to the property using an 8ft long placard which read: 'Gary Glitter get out of H-Head'.

The father-of-two said: 'I am representing all the concerned parents who live in the area.

'It is important to take a stand and make sure Gary Glitter does not settle here.

'I live 300 metres up the road with my two-year-old daughter and five-year-old son and am concerned for their safety.' 

A middle-aged woman who lives opposite the house and who asked not to be named said: 'I'm utterly shocked that Gary Glitter has been living on our street.

'It's really quite worrying as there are lots of children in the area and no one knew anything about it.

Glitter

Local anger: Teacher Shaun Gillam makes his feeling plain

Glitter

Hideaway: Hay Cottage

'I had no idea that the middle-aged man who owns the house had any connection to Gary Glitter.

'He always seems such a nice person.' 

A mother of two, aged in her thirties who asked not to be named, said: 'I'm sickened that Gary Glitter is living just round the corner from me.

'My kids play on the street here. I don't want them anywhere near a paedophile like Glitter.

'People like him shouldn't be allowed to invade nice neighbourhoods like this. I think they should put him back in prison.' 

Neighbours said they rarely saw the male owner of the house, which is surrounded by an 8ft high fence, because he was often away.

Glitter was this month freed early from jail in Vietnam after serving three years for committing obscene acts with two girls.

He was earlier jailed in Britain in 1999 for possessing 4,000 pornographic pictures of children.

He arrived back in the UK from Thailand following his deportation from the Far East last week.

Before he was jailed in Britain, Glitter was living on a yacht in nearby Gosport, Hampshire.

He moored his 40ft vessel Voyageur at Haslar Marina for a few months in 1997. But marina owners insisted he would not be allowed back.

Glitter lived in Rogate, Petersfield at the height of his fame.

When he returned to Britain he was ordered by magistrates to sign on the sex offenders' register and give details of his name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number.

A Hampshire Police spokesman would not confirm or deny whether Glitter had done so.

glit

Refuge: Glitter is thought to be hiding in Fareham police station, above

'It is our policy not to discuss any details of named individuals who are registered sex offenders,' he said.

Neighbour Vicci Craker, 23, said: 'How can they let a sick pervert move so close to my door step?

'It is scary to think what he has been up to and summer has finished early for the kids in this area.'

The paedophile, who still pockets £500,000 a year in royalties from his 1970s hits, had attempted to disguise his identity with a bizarre red wig and a wide-brimmed straw hat.

Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, had a house in Rogate, West Sussex, at the height of his fame and later lived on a 40-foot yacht at Haslar Marina, Gosport, Hampshire, five miles from Hill Head.

Bosses at the marina have warned him he is not welcome back following his imprisonment.

James Beaver, operations director of Dean Reddyhoof, who own the marina, said: 'He is not the type of person we would want here.'

England footballer Peter Crouch is on the verge of buying a new £2 million home in the secluded village, where 22 per cent of residents are over 65.



Reader views (13)

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Michael,
Only bizarre logic to an idiot.
I know Glitter is British.
I am talking about illegal immigrants, using it as an excuse to stay here.
Are you not aware of the latest wonder law from our useless home office?

- Chris, London, 28/08/2008 16:14
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Michael get real we have a choice to prevent anybody settling here that are not British.

Its just us in our small island that have idiots running it who will let anybody here, if we deported all the other nationals that are in are jails or towns to there homeland then we could protect people from paedophiles like glitter.

- Terry C, Surrey, 28/08/2008 15:31
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The majority of these 'chavs' are in work or waiting to start college in sept and how would you react Simon Caleb and Paulina Smid if a convicted paedophile was to move into your neighbourhood, I don't think you would sit and relax and have nothing to say about it now would you!

It was not just all teenagers outside there were also several adults outside making it pretty clear how they felt about the situation!

- Kaz, HILL HEAD!!!, 28/08/2008 15:24
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Viligantes are dangerous, not to mention stupid half the time (who can forget the paediatrician being mistaken for paedophile?). I understand no-one wants them in their community, but an underground paedo is much more of a threat than one whose whereabouts are known.

- Kitty, London, 28/08/2008 15:09
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That teacher should be ashamed. It's bad enough that he lacked the competence to make a sign without running out of space and having to abbreviate the name of the village, but he's also mixed up his upper and lower case letters in the middle of a word.

What does that say about our education system? He's probably an English teacher.

- Simon, London, 28/08/2008 13:57
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Is H-Head a recognised abbreviation of the name of this place or did that teacher just plan his sign really badly?

- Keith, King's Cross, 28/08/2008 13:42
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Simon, it's hardly a 'witch hunt', the man is a convicted paedophile, I certainly wouldn't want him in my neighbourhood.

- Cw, London, 28/08/2008 13:36
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Ok Simon And Paulina, lets move a paedophile next to your house and see your reaction.

- Philip Dillo, Hill Head, 28/08/2008 13:16
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"Great news if your an illegal immigrant, just claim to be a paedophile, sorted!"

What bizarre logic. Gary Glitter is a British citizen, which is why he was deported here in the first place. Not only is he not an illegal immigrant, but it was graphically demonstrated last week that Britain is just about the only country prepared to let him in - largely because we don't have a choice!

- Michael, London, 28/08/2008 13:09
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These half-wits make me sick. Where exactly would they have Glitter live? A set number of miles away from any place where children might, at any time, go? Classic Nimby-ism: I don't want him near my kids. Near yours is fine, of course, just not near mine.
As far as I'm aware, Glitter has no record of predatory activities round schools and playgrounds. Just let him sign the book and let the local cops be aware of him and his activities.

- Bryan Armstrong, London, 28/08/2008 13:05
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Oh look a bunch of chav's have found something to do, whilst out of work.
Perhaps they should do something constructive, rather than join a pathetic witch hunt.

- Simon Caleb, London, 28/08/2008 12:29
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Honestly, these people from Head Hill are a bit over the top. What chance is there that Gary Glitter could possibly approach their kids, unrecognised? Glitter is certainly more scared of these people than they are of him, so please calm down and get back to your work, or have you nothing better to do?

- Paulina Smid, London, 28/08/2008 12:03
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So he can't leave the country now.
Great news if your an illegal immigrant, just claim to be a paedophile, sorted!

- Chris, London, 28/08/2008 11:48
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