A TEENAGE sex offender missing since being released from youth custody has been arrested in Leominster.

Police acting on a tip-off raided a house on the town's Ridgemoor estate.

A taser and a dog were used.

Police took the rare step of going public with Walker's details saying he should not be approached.

The information that led to the arrest was received within an hour.

Walker was being hunted across the county by police, but inquiries focussed on Leominster where he has strong links and was last seen.

Despite his age, Walker has a lengthy criminal record, much of it for violence.

He is currently on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.

In June last year, Walker was freed having served part of a custodial sentence for a sex attack on a girl in Leominster.

A month later he was back inside for affray.

By December, Walker was behind bars again for breaching the notification requirements of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

In January, Walker was released from youth custody to an address in Ledbury that he never arrived at.

The hunt for Walker was led by Herefordshire CID and the county’s sex offender management unit. His details and picture were passed on to all patrol officers.

Until this afternoon's arrest, the last reported sighting of Walker was in Leominster town centre at around 7pm last Friday (March 6).

Detectives believed Walker to be lying low “sofa surfing” at addresses in the town.