A judge has issued a warrant for the arrest and detention of a sex offender after he failed to turn up in court.

Jamie James, who also uses the surname Kinchin, was due in court today accused of failing to comply with the conditions of a community order.

But the 20-year-old, who has already been punished for an earlier breach of the order, is said to have lost contact with the probation service.

And when he did not attend the hearing at Swindon Crown Court Judge Douglas Field issued the warrant without bail.

James, formerly of Broughton Road, Trowbridge, was put on the two-year community order in February last year after admitting sexual activity with a girl under 16.

In May last year he was found to be in breach of the order and told to complete 10 sessions of an education, training and employment programme.

He had failed to turn up for his first appointment with a probation officer, claiming he had been staying at a pal’s house so had not got the letter telling him to attend.

As well as being put on a community order he was told he must register as a sex offender for five years.

His initial sentencing hearing last year had to be put off after he failed to turn up at probation for a pre-sentence report to be prepared, later telling the court ‘I forgot’.