Child murder suspect freed on bail in Britain

A British accountant charged with the murder and kidnap of a six-year-old girl in the Philippines has flown to Britain, it emerged today.

Ian Charles Griffiths, 51, is accused of snatching Ellah Joy Pique as she left school on the island of Cebu. Her body was found later that day at the bottom of a cliff.

Griffiths was arrested by Met detectives under an 1861 law that allows a Briton accused of murder or manslaughter abroad to be tried here. He was freed on bail pending further inquiries and is believed to be in Southampton.

Philippines police claim he took the girl with the help of his girlfriend to use her in an online sex operation. The Yard is understood to be awaiting an international arrest warrant. A Met spokesman confirmed a man was held in London on Friday. After Ellah's death on February 8, thousands protested to demand justice.