A CONVICTED North-East paedophile who fled to Canada was back in custody in Britain last night.

George Galloway, 43, who skipped bail to flee to the United States then to Canada, flew into Heathrow Airport yesterday morning, escorted by Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

He was whisked to London, handcuffed to British police officers, and taken before a district judge at Isleworth Crown Court.

The judge remanded Galloway to custody, to await an appearance at Teesside Crown Court on June 11, for sentencing.

Galloway, from Pinero Grove, Hartlepool, fled the country days before he was due to stand trial at Teesside Crown Court accused of raping a ten-year-old girl.

The case was heard in his absence and he was convicted of five offences.

The former cable layer had previously pleaded not guilty to raping one girl, four charges of indecently assaulting her between the ages of six and ten, and three charges of sexually abusing a second girl, between 1996 and 2004.

But he was found guilty of rape and four charges of indecent assault, the jury clearing him of three sexual offences against the second girl.

Before skipping the UK, Galloway had been given permission to move from the North-East to Newquay, in Cornwall.

But three days before his trial, originally set for May last year, he telephoned his solicitors to say that he was unable to catch a London to Teesside flight.

Galloway said that he was taking a coach.

However, he instead boarded a flight for New York JFK airport and later travelled to Canada.

He then flew from Toronto to the US, but he was refused entry because his visa had expired and he was returned to Canada.

Interpol was notified and Cleveland Police's intelligence bureau arranged for his picture to be circulated in Canada.

Galloway was arrested by Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a town 50 miles north of Toronto in April, and held in a high-security detention centre in Toronto, after he was recognised and caught by police.