A FORMER Darlington man is expected to appear in court in the US today, accused of offences relating to an attempted abduction of his son.

Douglas Vick Frawley, a former bookmaker, was arrested by detectives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The 55-year-old is due before Bernallio County Court on charges relating to an incident in December when he is alleged to have injured his ex-wife, Cindy Sealey, as he attempted to snatch his six-year-old son, James Keegan Frawley.

A warrant was issued for his arrest at the time, on charges of aggravated battery, child abuse, custodial interference and attempted kidnap.

It is alleged that Mr Frawley punched his former wife as she left her home to take their son to school. He then tried to abduct the boy, who leapt a fence and hid behind the family's dogs until Mr Frawley fled.

Mr Frawley evaded police for almost nine months, but was arrested on Wednesday after a parent called police to report a suspicious car circling the school attended by his son.

He was arrested after a struggle with police in which he allegedly tried to use tear gas spray.

In 1996, Mr Frawley was arrested in Devon, six months after abducting his son from New Mexico, and was extradited to the US. He was put on probation, but was charged again the following year after he allegedly broke Ms Sealey's jaw during a botched attempted abduction.

Last night, Ms Sealey told reporters that she had endured seven years of worry for the safety of her son since her bitter divorce in 1994, and had been under police protection at her home since December's attempted abduction while local police and FBI officers hunted her ex-husband.

"We owe a great debt of gratitude to the officers of Albuquerque for taking care of us and ensuring our safety," she told a press conference in Albuquerque police station.

"We want to thank them for their hard work over the years."