A Briton has been arrested in Spain for allegedly killing a German man he caught filming his young daughter with an iPad.

Police detained the 40-year-old man on Saturday night after he allegedly attacked the German national in a restaurant in Sotogrande, an exclusive resort on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol.

Authorities said the victim, 43, had been charged with possession of child pornography days before, although it is not known if the British man was aware of the fact.

A spokeswoman for the civil guard said: “The discussion apparently began because of alleged recordings that the victim was making of the aggressor’s daughter.

“When he [the aggressor] saw what was happening he took the tablet off him, saw the recordings, threw the device to the ground and attacked him.

“The victim had been arrested by the civil guard a few days ago for possession of child pornography.”

Police said that when they arrived they found the victim with “very serious” wounds, although it is understood no weapons were used during the attack.

He was taken to a hospital in nearby La Línea de la Concepción, but died there.

The British man, who is understood to live in Sotogrande, left the restaurant after the assault but was later identified thanks to witnesses, police said.

A source said that his daughter is under the age of eight.

The victim was arrested in Spain in January and was awaiting trial.

A postmortem has been carried out and authorities are awaiting the results to determine how the victim died.

Sotogrande is one of Spain’s most upmarket resorts and is known for its golf courses and large houses overlooking the Mediterranean.

The Foreign Office said: “We are urgently investigating reports of the arrest of a British national in the Cadiz area in southern Spain. We stand ready to provide consular assistance if requested.”

Police said that the arrested man has been remanded in prison after appearing before a magistrate.