Alleged sightings of sex-offender Glitter, who was deported to Britain after being released from jail in Vietnam recently, have been coming into the 'Gazette' office over the past week, but despite intensive inquiries, nothing solid has been discovered.

"Sightings" of the registered sex-offender have included reports that the former star had been seen in the Findhorn area as well as walking along the Forres High Street, but no-one could – or would – say positively where he was supposedly staying.

One woman who phoned the office to report that Glitter – real name Paul Francis Gadd – had come north of the border said she was worried and thought local people should know if a registered sex offender was living on their doorsteps.

"I just think people should know if he's here," she said. "I haven't seen him, but a friend of a friend claimed she saw him shopping and said that he is staying at a retreat nearby."

However, spokespeople at all the Forres area retreat centres including the Shambala Interfaith Centre, the Findhorn Foundation, Newbold House and Cluny College said that no-one matching the star's description or of the star's age, was registered there. A call to the Royal Hotel were Glitter was also reported to have been staying also proved fruitless.

A spokeswoman for the Findhorn Foundation said it was in everyone's interests to know if the registered paedophile was in the area, but said that after checking their guest lists and speaking with individuals responsible for the various centres, she genuinely believe that they have not had anyone who could remotely be him, staying there.

A spokesperson for the Shambala Centre said that if he was to turn up there, they would have no problems with reporting him to the local police, as they did not provide a haven for sex offenders.

The foundation spokesperson said that there were no reports of anyone fitting Glitter's description being seen and short of checking out all the local guest houses and bed and breakfast accommodation, it would be hard to prove otherwise.

The ex-70s glam rock star was released from prison in Vietnam in August after serving a three-year sentence for sexually abusing young girls.

He had to flee from a village in Hampshire six weeks ago, after the paparazzi discovered he was staying with an old friend at Hill Head. He was reportedly photographed shopping, wearing a disguise of a straw hat with a ginger wig and had shaved off his beard.

He spent the night at a police station in Hampshire, out of fears of his safety after the news broke and the media camped out on the doorstep of the house to get photos. It is not known where he went afterwards.

If Glitter has come north of the border, he would have to register with the police to notify them of a change of address. If he failed to do so he would be commiting a criminal act.

Glitter first shot to notoriety in 1999 after being jailed and listed as a sex offender in the UK following a conviction for downloading thousands of items of child pornography. His reputation was greatly tarnished, and, though he continued releasing new music, his popularity declined sharply.

He moved from Cambodia, from where he was permanently evicted in 2002 for suspected child sexual abuse, to Vung Tau in Vietnam.

In 2005, he was arrested by Vietnamese authorities and was tried and convicted of child sexual abuse charges in June. He was released from prison in August and returned to London three days later, after being refused entry into Thailand and Hong Kong. A fortnight ago, he was refused permission by the British Authorities to fly to Spain.

Media reports suggest that Glitter owns a 40-foot yacht on which he previously lived, and kept near Fareham in Hampshire.

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