One of Britain’s most wanted criminals has given himself up in Spain after a campaign targeting criminals on the run began this month.

Andrew Arthur Alderman, from Canterbury, is wanted by Kent Police after being convicted for indecent assault and rape of a girl under the age of 16 between 1 January 1995 and 30 April 2004. He walked into the British Consulate in Madrid today.

Alderman, 49, was named as part of Operation Captura 2, in which Crimestoppers and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) issue descriptions of criminals believed to be hiding in the Costa Blanca area around Alicante.

He is the third fugitive to be arrested in Spain since the operation began on November 6. Anthony Kearney and Donna McCafferty, both wanted for fraud offences, were detained in Alicante the day after the scheme started.

Their details were among those posted online on the Most Wanted section of the Crimestoppers website.

The campaign highlights appeals for information on criminals who have European arrest warrants issued against them for crimes such as drug trafficking, murder and currency counterfeiting.

Mick Laurie, Crimestoppers' Chief Executive, said: "This is yet another great success for Operation Captura. Within two weeks of launching, a dangerous criminal has handed himself in. A huge thank you must go out to the media for their pivotal role in helping to publicise these most manted criminals, due to Alderman's face being so widely circulated, the pressure became all too much and he decided to give himself up.

"There are still six most manted criminals on this list. If you have any information on them please call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or 900 555 111 if calling from Spain, and help us to track down more of these criminals."

Denise Holt, the British Ambassador to Spain, said: "This is excellent news. Once again, I would like to thank the Spanish authorities for their support and efforts, in particular those of the Ministry of Interior. This is another good example of the close co-operation between our two countries.

"I would also like to thank the media for the great publicity they're giving to the campaign and everyone contributing to the arrests of these criminals."

Since Crimestoppers began in 1988, the charity has received more than a million calls, resulting in over 87,000 arrests and charges.

Anyone with information about any of the individuals in Operation Captura 2 can call the freephone Spanish 900 555 111 telephone number. Information can also be passed on anonymously via the Crimestoppers website.

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