A convicted conman who escaped from a Scottish prison earlier this month has apparently found time while on the run to taunt the local paper.

Derek Watson purportedly e-mailed Dundee daily The Courier to attack it over its reporting of his disappearance.

The 42-year-old failed to return to Castle Huntly open prison on October 8 after a week-long release. He was sentenced to five years in prison last year on 25 charges of fraud.

According to The Courier, Watson claimed he was hiding in Timbuktu but gave his postcode as being in Longforgan, the village where the prison is, when sending the e-mail via the Courier website.

The angry e-mail was addressed to editor and said: "I read online your reporter's untrue comments relating to my absconding from Castle Huntle [sic] open estate.

"The comments say I preyed on the elderly and vulnerable people. This is most certainly not true."

Among Watson's victims were a 73-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man.

He also reportedly prevented a 75-year-old man from being the victim of bogus workmen only to defraud the elderly gentleman himself out of £4,000.

Ian Lamb, editorial manager for Courier publisher DC Thomson, said: "He has complained about our coverage about his misdeeds in the past.

"But it's quite bizarre that a convicted criminal who has absconded from an open prison would appear to be e-mailing us.

"Right through his case our coverage has been factual and accurate and Mr Watson can have no cause for complaint.

"We're happy to help Tayside Police in any way we can."

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