Glitter in limbo after refusing to board UK flight

Shamed rock star Gary Glitter was in limbo today after refusing to board a flight to the UK following his release from a Vietnamese prison.

The UK's foreign office said Glitter declined to board the flight from Thailand to England and remained in transit, reportedly in a VIP area where travellers can rent small bedrooms airside at Bangkok airport.

In bizarre scenes after landing in Bangkok, Glitter refused to board a connecting flight to Heathrow and demanded to fly to Singapore after Thai officials refused to let him through passport control and into the country.

The 64-year-old, real name Paul Gadd, reportedly argued with Thai immigration officers, insisting he was a “free man”, while British embassy officials tried to convince him to board the flight home and a British police officer who was supposed to be accompanying him home looked on.

Glitter then complained of fatigue and was taken to the VIP area.

It is not known when or where Glitter intends to travel to next, but it is unlikely he will remain in Thailand for any length of time after being told he would not be allowed out of Bangkok airport unless it was on an international flight.

Glitter left Vietnam at around 9pm yesterday local time (3pm Irish time). He arrived in Bangkok after a 90-minute Thai Airways flight from Ho Chi Minh City.

He was released from prison yesterday morning Irish time after serving two years and nine months of a three-year sentence for abusing two girls aged 10 and 11.

A foreign office spokesman said: “The last information we have is that shortly before the flight to the UK departed he declined to board.

“We were last aware that he remained in transit.

“He decides where he applies to go and the country or authorities there will decide whether they permit him to enter their territory.”

Glitter was originally due to arrive at Heathrow this morning, where he would have been met by police and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register.

Britain's Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said yesterday she did not want him to be able to travel abroad again.

And children’s charities have criticised his stated intention of returning to the UK to take advantage of the NHS.

He suffered from health problems while in prison and was treated for a heart condition and tinnitus. He has said he wants to return to the UK for treatment.

Dr Michele Elliott, of children’s charity Kidscape told the Daily Mail: “It makes you sick. He doesn’t even want to live here, he’s just coming to sponge off us. I can think of a lot more worthy people to give treatment to on the NHS.

“He’s an exploiter – he exploits children, he’ll exploit the NHS.”

Glitter was convicted of downloading child pornography in the UK in 1999 and served two months of a four-month sentence after a computer repair shop found the images on his laptop.

He left the country and moved to Spain and Cuba before travelling to south east Asia where he escaped detection until he was tracked down by newspaper reporters.

He was kicked out of Cambodia after facing allegations of sex crimes and moved to the Vietnamese coastal resort of Vung Tau.

The two girls at first made allegations of rape, which carries a death sentence, but were reportedly paid off with £1,175.

He was arrested trying to leave the country and stood trial, pleading innocence and claiming he was teaching the girls English. He was convicted and sentenced to three years in March 2006.

Glitter reportedly earns tens of thousands of pounds in overseas royalties from his hits, which include 'I’m the Leader of the Gang (I Am)'.

Police and senior immigration officials in Thailand said Glitter had been denied entry into the country after failing to board the flight to London.

Police Major General Phongdej Chaiprawat said Glitter was being confined to a transit lounge at the airport in Bangkok.

“He refused to board the plane last night and now is being confined at the transit lounge. We will not allow him to enter the country,” he said.

The general added that it was the responsibility of Thai Airways, the carrier on which Glitter was flying, to fly him out of the country.

Lieutenant General Chatchawal Suksomchit, the chief of Thailand’s immigration police, said Glitter was denied entry because under Thai immigration laws those convicted of child sex abuse in a foreign country can be barred.

“Officials concerned are working through the process of putting him on the plane to take him out of the country, but if he continues to refuse to leave then he will confined in the (airport transit) area temporarily before being taken into a detention centre,” he said.