Police arrest Carstairs patient who absconded during shopping trip

A restricted patient from Scotland’s State hospital who absconded during a shopping trip has been arrested by police.

Officers urged the public not to approach George McCann, 24, who escaped during an escorted trip to McArthurGlen shopping centre in Livingston on Thursday afternoon.

Authorities said the trip was part of his rehabilitation and they appealed for any sightings of him as they were “anxious” to trace him.

He was spotted near Hamilton and officers in Lanarkshire arrested him around 10.10pm, police said.

Officers thanked those who had called in with information and said the patient had been taken to the hospital in Carstairs.