Leyland man arrested after being confronted by 'paedophile hunters' in Leeds

The man, aged in his 50s, was stopped by the group and detained under ‘Citizen’s Arrest’ outside Mill Hill Chapel in the city centre last Friday (April 14).

The incident was live streamed on Facebook with the man being interrogated on camera and accused of arranging to meet with a 13-year-old girl.

During the encounter, the group claimed he had spoken with the child online and had booked a hotel room for them in Leeds.

In the video, the man – who said he had two children of his own – told the group he had bought presents for the girl, including an Easter egg and silky pyjamas.

Police arrived at the scene around an hour later and he was placed in handcuffs and escorted into the back of a police car.

West Yorkshire Police were approached for comment but declined to provide details on the incident or the man’s arrest.

West Yorkshire Police statement

“Please be advised that this information will not be provided,” a spokesman for the force told the Post.

"West Yorkshire Police would neither confirm nor deny that a specific incident had taken place, unless this was made public at the time.

"For West Yorkshire Police to confirm or deny this information would significantly undermine our abilities to prevent and detect future crimes and or subsequent proceedings as it would show that we flippantly disclose information.

"Additionally, if we were to confirm any details this would significantly increase the likelihood of an individual being identified and as such would breach the Data Protection Act 2018.”