A Christian evangelist was accused of a hate crime and locked up in a cell after preaching from the Bible to a gay teenager.

Gordon Larmour, 42, was charged by police after telling the story of Adam and Eve to a 19-year-old who asked him about God’s views on homosexuality.

The street preacher referred to the Book of Genesis and stated that God created Adam and Eve to produce children.

Within minutes he was frogmarched to a police van, accused of threatening or abusive behaviour 'aggravated by prejudice relating to sexual orientation' - despite not swearing or using any form of offensive language.

The father-of-one spent a night in custody and faced a six-month ordeal before a sheriff cleared him of any blame.

The incident, which occurred in his home town of Irvine in Ayrshire, has become a rallying point for Christian campaigners who are concerned that freedom of speech is being stifled by political correctness.

Mr Larmour told the Scottish Mail on Sunday: “I can't see why I was arrested in the first place - it was a massive overreaction and a waste of everyone's time. The police didn't listen to me. They took the young homosexual guy's side straight away and read me my rights.