DETECTIVES trying to bring a fugitive paedophile to justice say the bureaucracy surrounding the case is "becoming a joke."

Roger Gardener, (pictured) 59, has spent two years on the run - vanishing before he could stand trial for allegedly staging a vigilante-style arson attack on his own home in High Street, Fleur-de-Lys.

Now Gwent Police say the fight to extradite him from Ireland has now lasted so long, he may not even be there any more.

Gardener - convicted of indecently assaulting two teenage girls two years ago - was to be tried at Cardiff crown court but went missing in April, 2001.

Since then Detective Sergeant Dave Ransome and Detective Constable Clive Morgan have fought to bring him to justice.

They learned 18 months ago that Gardener was in Ireland but their bid to bring him back to Wales has been frustrated as Ireland is not part of the European Extradition Treaty. Sergeant Ransome said: "The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are still waiting to hear from Ireland and it is becoming a bit of a joke now.

"They have had the papers in Ireland for at least two-and-a-half months now. As soon as we are told it is in place we can go and fetch him with the co-operation of the Garda but at the moment we cannot arrest him."

He said Gardener may even have moved. He said: "The inquiries we made 18 months ago are probably no longer valid so we can't really rely on that information.

"His whereabouts are not known but we don't want to make an appeal until the extradition process is rubber stamped. Our hands are tied. If we were to run an appeal in the Irish Press now it would just give him advance warning."

A CPS spokesman said: "We have to engage, through the Attorney- General, in a diplomatic process with the Attorney- General for Ireland.

"We are committed to bringing Roger Gardener to justice and we are doing everything in our power to ensure this happens."

Pengam councillor Noel Turner said: "It is frustrating for me and for the village because the longer it drags on the longer Fleur-de-Lys keeps getting mentioned for the wrong reasons."