Most Wanted Suspect Arrested In Canary Islands
A convicted killer who was on the run after breaching his probation has been arrested in the Canary Islands by Spanish police.
Shane Walford was tracked down just five days after his name was included in a list of Britain's 10 most wanted fugitives .
The 38-year-old was jailed in 2010 for the manslaughter of an off-duty fireman while he was on leave from the Army.
An ex-soldier and former boxer, Walford killed Paul Gibbons, a father-of-two, with a single punch outside a bar in Coventry.
He had been sentenced to four-and-a-half years, but was recalled to prison by West Midlands Police in 2013.
The National Crime Agency is continuing to ask for help from expats and holidaymakers in finding other wanted criminals - including a rapist, a suspected child abuser and a drug trafficker.
Hank Cole, the NCA's head of international operations, said: "Some of them continue to be a danger to the public.
"Spain is not a safe haven for British fugitives. The NCA and its partners will continue to pursue these individuals relentlessly and return them to the UK to face justice."
All of the men are the subject of European arrest warrants. Some, like Walford, have already been convicted, whereas others are wanted to face trial.
Inspector Olga Lizana, who heads up Spain's fugitive unit, added that although the country can seem like a good place for criminals to hide, there's no guarantee that wanted fugitives will blend in with British communities.
"We are catching more and more, so it is not a safe place for them to be," she warned.
Many expats resent how their communities have been dubbed the "Costa del Crime" because of the problem, with broadcaster Giles Brown insisting "we are not just a bunch of disinterested sun worshippers knocking back gin and tonics".
:: Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers by phone free and anonymously from Spain on 900 555 111, from the UK on 0800 555 111, or online at Crimestoppers.
