US Marshals are on the hunt for a Scottish tourist who they believe attempted to fake his own death in California.

Kim Gordon, a well-known street trader and busker from Inverness, was feared to have drowned after going swimming at a Carmel beach last Monday. However, investigators now believe it was a hoax.

Gordon was reported missing by his teenage son, who has flown back to Scotland, after disappearing at Monastery Beach.

Following a three-day search involving multiple agencies, police concluded that the drowning was staged.

Commander John Thornburg, from Monterey County Sheriff's Department, told American news channel KSBW Action News 8: "This person never went swimming."

Commander Thornburn said the teenage son's story started to "crumble and fall apart" after being questioned on how they got to Monterey from Los Angeles.

Commander Thornburn added: "We can't show how they got here. Facts don't start to match up, more questions start to get asked and that's how this really started to fall apart for them."

US Marshals have now been called in to help track down Gordon.

Commander Thornburn stated: "It's their speciality; they're very good at it."