An Englishman waiting to be extradited on rape charges could not be traced for a month because his local identity card mistakenly gave his surname as Woops rather than Woods.

Nobody noticed the error but, after he appeared in court last Wednesday over the request for his extradition, Magistrate Edwina Grima notified the IT Ministry, which is responsible for ID cards.

The mistake was flagged by the prosecuting office, Police Inspector Ray Aquilina, who complained that the error, which was repeated in the electoral register, meant the police had to spend a month looking for the suspect.

Questions were sent to the ministry asking whether the issue was being looked into but no response was forthcoming by the time of writing. During the arraignment, Mr Woods agreed to be extradited over rape charges dating back to 1994 and made by the Stoke-On-Trent Crown Court authorities.

The 57-year-old carpenter acted strangely when arraigned on Wednesday. He was mumbling, looking around, staring and looking at the woodwork in the courtroom as the charges against him were read.

His court-appointed lawyer at one point even said it did not seem he was able to communicate with his client. Eventually, the proceedings moved on, but when the accused was asked when he was born, he said: "Poppy day, poppy day, poppy day..." The magistrate intervened, asking what year. He did not respond but when his lawyer suggested: "1900, for instance..." he said he was born in 1900.

He is waiting to leave the island.

Lawyer Donatella Frendo Dimech from the Attorney General's Office and Police Inspector Chris Galea Scannura also prosecuted.