Preston man arrested outside petrol station after sting by 'paedophile hunters'

The 30-year-old was arrested outside the Gulf petrol station and Best One shop in Tag Lane, Ingol yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, August 17).

He was picked up by police after allegedly arranging to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex after chatting to her online.

But the man was unaware that he was in fact speaking to a 'decoy' - an adult posing as a child to lure suspected paedophiles.

At the garage, he was met by six officers, placed in the back of a police van and taken to a station for questioning.

The vigilante child protection group, based on the Fylde coast, also handed police transcripts and photographs as evidence of his alleged online grooming.

His arrest was filmed by a member of the group and broadcast live on Facebook where it has 20,000 views.

"Has was a vile one", said the group, who told viewers that the suspect had arranged to take the 'child' to a local park "to have sex with her in the bushes".

A police spokesman said: "I can confirm that there is currently a 30-year-old man of no fixed address under arrest on suspicion of child grooming. He remains in police custody."

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