A British national suspected of paedophilia has been arrested in Tétouan, in the north of Morocco, a Moroccan daily reported on Thursday.

The 59-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday at a petrol station where passers-by heard a child's screams coming from his vehicle, a source who requested anonymity told AFP.

Several people surrounded the car and alerted the police, according to the same source.

The little girl, aged six and from the region, is safe and sound.

Contacted by AFP, the British Embassy in Rabat confirmed the arrest of one of its nationals in Morocco, without further details.

According to the daily Al-Massae, which cites police sources, the accused, officially domiciled in the enclave of Ceuta (Spain), was already the subject of an arrest warrant from the Spanish authorities for "paedophilia" and "kidnapping".

He is also suspected of raping another minor in the neighbouring city of Chefchaouen and remains in police custody.

Last month, several thousand Moroccans took part in a white march in Casablanca to denounce paedophilia and violence against children, after the assault on a young girl that left a mark on public opinion in the kingdom.

During the same month, a 60-year-old Frenchman was sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Casablanca court for acts of paedophilia.

A year earlier, a Spanish national had received a 30-year prison sentence in Kénitra "for pornography and sexual abuse of a dozen children".