A Scot accused of being behind a precious metals fraud scheme in Florida has been put on the FBI's most wanted list.

James Ward, 65, is wanted for his alleged involvement in the $400,000 (£314,000) scheme that operated in the US state from September 2007 to March 2010.

Ward, born in Glasgow, is accused of operating an entity called Kastle & Hawk, Inc. which solicited investors to buy previous metals such as gold, silver, and platinum on a leveraged basis.

Instead of investing the six-figure sum he received from at least 12 investors, American authorities allege he kept the money for his own personal use and benefit.

The investors never acquired any precious metals from what they believed at the time were legitimate business transactions.

Ward disappeared in 2012 after a federal warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with wire fraud, having previously lived in Florida's Miami Beach.

The FBI believes he may travel to the UK, including possibly to Scotland, but also say Ward could be in Canada or Mexico.

He is described as 5ft 8in and blond, although he may be changing his hair colour frequently.

If anyone has any information concerning Ward, they can contact the FBI's overseas office in the UK at the US embassy in London on 0207 894 0007 or provide an anonymous tip online.