A “paedophile” working at the US embassy in London has been smuggled back to the States in a secret dawn raid, it has been alleged.

American operatives are believed to have seized a man suspected of possessing child abuse images and flew him home.

British police were not told about the operation until after it had already taken place.

The covert extraction was triggered by a US investigation into the man’s brother, who is based in America.

Agents are said to have discovered indecent images of children at the suspect’s London address.

They are then accused of taking him into custody without any authority to make arrests on British soil.

Marine Security Guards, responsible for protecting the US embassy in London, are thought to have carried out the raid.