A German computer gamer is facing extradition to Britain, accused of murdering a student after an apparent argument on an online discussion site.

David Heiss, 21, is believed to have flown to Britain last Friday just hours before Matthew Pyke, 20, was stabbed to death in his Nottingham flat.

Mr Pyke’s bloodstained body was found by his girlfriend, Joanna Witton, 20. The couple met Mr Heiss online earlier this year through a website they ran devoted to Advance Wars, a chess-like war strategy game.

Police believe that Mr Heiss and Mr Matthew fell out in an online forum on the website, Wars Central, in which gamers could swap tactics and tips. Reports from Germany also suggested that Mr Heiss had visited the couple several times and had become besotted with Miss Witton. On Tuesday night Mr Heiss wrote a message to Miss Witton on Facebook that read: “I’m sorry for having caused so much trouble lately. I hope you won’t lose all your hope. We will be there for you.”

Police tracked him down to Hün-felden, near Frankfurt, on Wednesday night. He was brought before an investigating judge in the city of Limburg on Thursday and was remanded in custody pending his extradition.

A German police official said: “A 21-year-old man from the rural district of Limburg was arrested on Wednesday evening on suspicion of murder.

“Officers of the police Westhessen HQ arrested him in Hünfelden on suspicion that one week ago on September 19 the man killed an English man in Nottingham with a knife.

A senior Nottinghamshire detective flew to Germany earlier this week to help with the arrest and to bring him back to Britain for further questioning.

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