SHAMED paedophile Gary Glitter has been spotted in a leafy Hampshire seaside village, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The former glam rock star was photographed outside a luxury car showroom, in Warsash and at a local Sainsbury's supermarket.

He has been hiding at a friend's secret secluded £2m detached house since he returned to Britain, it was reported today.

The 64-year-old was spotted venturing out on a shopping trip with a friend wearing a ginger wig, straw hat and jeans.

Peter Nash Specialist Cars manager Mark Nash confirmed Glitter had been seen admiring a £25,995 Mercedes ML four-wheel-drive.

"Yes, it was us and it must have been in the last couple of days," he said.

"We have not seen him or dealt with him, but he is obviously around the area. From the pictures in the newspaper I wouldn't have recognised him anyway."

Glitter was this month freed early from jail in Vietnam after serving three years for committing obscene acts with two girls. He was earlier jailed in Britain in 1999 for possessing 4,000 pornographic pictures of children.

He arrived back in the UK from Thailand following his deportation from the Far East last week.

Before he was jailed in Britain, Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, was living on a yacht in Gosport.

He moored his 40ft vessel Voyageur at Haslar Marina for a few months in 1997. But marina owners insisted he would not be allowed back.

Glitter lived in Rogate, Petersfield at the height of his fame.

When he returned to Britain he was ordered by magistrates to sign on the sex offenders' register and give details of his name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number.

A Hampshire Police spokesman would not confirm or deny whether Glitter had done so.

"It is our policy not to discuss any details of named individuals who are registered sex offenders," he said.