A cross-dressing pervert who travelled more than 400 miles across Britain believing he was meeting a 14-year-old girl was trapped by paedophile vigilantes.

Richard Grattige, 48, who lives in Maidstone, Kent, and is also known as Vicky Green, believed he was in contact with a child after talking to her on WhatsApp.

He travelled by bus to Glasgow after arranging to meet her - but was confronted by vigilantes who recorded him confessing his plans before handing him over to police.

Richard Grattige (pictured), 48, who is also known as Vicky Green, believed he was in contact with a child after talking to her on WhatsApp from his home in Maidstone, Kent

A video shows Grattige - who is undergoing hormone treatment for a sex change - admitting he planned to meet a girl and pleading to be allowed to return home.

Grattige appeared from custody at Airdrie Sheriff Court and admitted communicating indecently and intending to have sex with an underage girl.

Depute fiscal Agnes Meek said he was confronted by members of a group called Wolf Pack Hunters at Glasgow's Buchanan Street bus station in September last year.

She said: 'A false profile was created on an online chat service under the name of Taylor who was 14 but because of restrictions on age she marked Taylor as being 18.

'She received a message from Jack with a photo of a male aged 47 who is now the accused.

Grattige, who lives in Maidstone, Kent, travelled by bus to Glasgow after arranging to meet her

'The accused sent sexual messages to Taylor before he was advised she was 14 to which he replied 'you are not old enough, I will have to find a new girl to meet but I can't have any fun with you because you are aged 14'.

'They continued chatting and WhatsApp was brought up. The accused then stated he was on WhatsApp and provided her with a mobile number and an email address and communications became sexual.

'He asked if she had a boyfriend and asked if she wanted to have sex when she was a bit older and said 'I hope you come to me because I hope to have a baby with you, I think you would make a good mother'.

'They then discussed meeting and he asked if he should bring condoms up with him in case they needed them.

Grattige appeared from custody at Airdrie Sheriff Court (pictured) and admitted communicating indecently and intending to have sex with an underage girl

'He told her that if she didn't want that they would just cuddle and stated 'it's not about the sex I just love you so much'.

'He then arranged to travel to Glasgow when he was approached by Wolf Pack members who recorded and uploaded the meeting to Facebook.'

Alan Cox, defending, said: 'I think that it is relevant to say that before this he was in the course of transitioning to become a female but he has stopped taking the hormone tablets while he has been in Barlinnie.

'He says that he will resume that once able to do so.'

Sheriff Frank Pieri deferred sentence and remanded him in custody.