One of Britain’s most wanted criminals has been arrested in a police raid of his Spanish home.

Convicted armed robber Andrew Moran, 31, was sunbathing with his girlfriend at his swimming pool when officers stormed his house.

Moran was named in a top 10 most wanted list in October 2011 and was described by police as a ‘violent thug’. 

Video footage shows police wrestle Andrew Moran to the ground by his pool. He had been sunbathing with his girlfriend when they raided his home

Moran was caught and handcuffed by Spanish officers after trying to escape from his back garden

Moran’s arrest was carried out by elite police from Spain’s Special Group of Operations, who protect VIPs as well as deal with terrorist attacks

He took part in a gang raid on a Royal Mail vehicle in Lancashire in May 2005.

The gang threatened a security guard at gunpoint in Lancashire and stole £25,000.

Moran has been on the run since he fled from the dock at Burnley Crown Court during a trial in February 2009.

He assaulted four dock officers and escaped. The jury later returned a guilty verdict and Moran was convicted in his absence.

Video footage shows Moran was caught and handcuffed on the ground in a pair of red shorts after a botched attempt to escape from his home in the Costa Blanca resort of Denia near Alicante.

It emerged today that Moran narrowly escaped capture last November after driving the wrong way up a motorway to flee police.

Spanish officers revealed he had smashed into two police cars in a 4×4 after being tracked down to the spa town of Los Alcazares in Murcia, south east Spain, before escaping up the wrong way of the busy AP7 motorway which runs along the Mediterranean coast.

Guns, cartridges and several mobile phones were seized from his home. Moran has been on the run for four years

These large knives were among the weapons recovered in Moran’s property

A pair of guns and cartridges were found among Moran’s possessions

His arrest was carried out by elite police from Spain’s Special Group of Operations, who protect VIPs as well as deal with terrorist attacks.

Video footage released by police shows officers surrounding Moran’s home before chasing him into bushes round his pool after he spotted one of the officers and tried to escape dressed in red shorts and a T-shirt.

Two guns, cartridges and several mobile phones were seized during a search of the property.

Moran had been involved in a gang who threatened a security guard with a gun and machete outside an ASDA supermarket in Colne, Lancashire. They stole £25,000

Moran escaped capture in Spain last November, when he drove up wrong side of motorway to flee officers. It is not known how log Moran has been living abroad

He was taken straight to Madrid after his capture for an extradition hearing at Spain’s Central Criminal Court.

It is thought the hearing will take place tomorrow.

Lancashire Police Detective Inspector Simon Cheyte said of Moran’s crime after he was placed on the most wanted list: ‘This is a very serious offence and we are determined to get Moran back before the courts to serve the time for his crime.’

Moran was taken to Madrid after his capture for an extradition hearing at Spain’s Central Criminal Court

Read more: Daily Mail