A MAN was arrested during a live broadcast by internet vigilantes who claimed he wanted to meet a 13-year-old boy for sex.

The incident happened at Southend Central station at 5.30pm on Sunday and was broadcast using Facebook’s new live video feature.

In the video, the man can be seen speaking to a worker at the ticket office when he is approached by a man and a woman.

They carry on filming while subjecting him to questions for about 20 minutes as passengers continue their journeys.

The man, thought to be from the Southend area, is then searched before being handcuffed by a police officer.

During the conversation, it is alleged the man was waiting at the station to meet a youngster from east London.

However, the male member of the group told him he had posed as a 13-year-old boy suffering from family problems in order to entrap a sexual predator.

On Facebook, the group describes itself as a “dedicated team of parents hunting paedophiles and sexual predators across the UK and keeping our children safe.”

A British Transport Police spokesman confirmed the force had made an arrest and passed the file on to Essex Police.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “A 27-year-old man, from Southend, was arrested following an incident at Southend Central train station at around 5.40pm on Sunday.

“He is currently in police custody. Enquires are ongoing.”

The spokesman did not specify the offence the man was suspected of committing.