A British man, on Europe’s ‘most wanted list’ for his part in the brutal murder of a man who was tortured to death in front of his children, is resisting extradition after being arrested in Malta.

Christopher Guest More is wanted by Cheshire police for the murder of Brian Waters in June 2003. Three other men John Wilson, 69, James Raven, 60, and Otis Matthews, 41 - are all serving life sentences for the murder.

Waters had been tortured and beaten to death in front of his two adult children, who were forced to watch the murder at gunpoint. Together with the other men, More is alleged to stormed a remote property - where Waters was running a cannabis farm - to demand money.

UK Police said that after the gang’s demands for money were refused, the men had assaulted the five people in the house, beating Waters so badly that he died at the scene.

The men tied Waters to a chair before battering him in front of his son, who was also attacked, and daughter, who had just turned 21 and was held at gunpoint and forced to watch. Waters, 44, was whipped, burned, attacked with a staple gun, hung upside down and beaten and sexually assaulted with an iron bar, in a three-hour ordeal during which he sustained 123 injuries.

More is also wanted for the attempted murder of a second man and for the false imprisonment and assault of the other victims present during the incident.

The man was arrested in Malta after a covert operation involving Maltese and British police which had him under surveillance for a number of days before the arrest. The fugitive was found to have been using a false identity in a bid to escape detection.

Sources said the man was arrested in Swieqi following the joint operation.

The arrested person claimed his name was Andrew Christopher Lamb and contested the extradition order on the basis that he is not the  person mentioned in it.

But on Saturday afternoon he was remanded in custody by duty magistrate Josette Demicoli, after the Briton’s identity was confirmed. The extradition hearing will continue on Monday.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi is defence counsel.

Lawyer George Camilleri appeared on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General.