Look who's in Gary Glitter's gang

THIS is the man who has been sheltering Gary Glitter since his return to Britain—pictured with the pop pervert and his paedophile gang in Vietnam.

Millionaire hairdresser Gordon Buchanan, wearing a red and white bandana and baring comedy false teeth, sits on the back of Glitter’s scooter before a trip to the seaside.

To his left are Hoang Thi Bong, the teenage prostitute who fixed Glitter up with young girls, and Tran Thi Kim Oanh, the fallen star’s girlfriend and aunt of his youngest victim Diem, ten.

Buchanan, 54, hid Glitter from public view at his home in Fareham, Hants, when he was deported from Vietnam after serving a jail sentence for molesting young girls.

Yesterday Buchanan went public in defence of the 64-year-old pervert, insisting: “I never saw anything alarming about his behaviour towards children.”

Surprised

But today the News of the World can show how close Buchanan was to the pervert’s sick lifestyle. We can reveal:

Buchanan was THERE at Glitter’s Vietnam villa in March 2005 for a week-long break when little Diem fell into the paedophile’s clutches.

He VISITED Glitter in prison, despite his claims he did not.

Buchanan even became CLOSE to Glitter’s twisted lover Oanh.

The picture was taken in March 2005 as the group embarked on a trip from Vung Tau, where Glitter lived.

We showed the photo to Buchanan’s brother Iain, who confirmed the identity. Iain said: “Yes, that’s him, but those are joke teeth.”

Buchanan claimed not to have visited Glitter in jail, but Iain confirmed he had been out to Vietnam several times.

He said: “My brother has been out there, I knew that.” And Lt Col Nguyen Duc Trinh, deputy head of the Glitter investigation, revealed Buchanan flew to Vietnam to visit the shamed star in jail just weeks after his arrest.

Alarmed

He said: “He told me he was Glitter’s best friend. I told him he could only visit with the permission of the British embassy. I was very surprised he was given permission.”

Lt Col Trinh said Buchanan was only allowed to stay for 15 minutes.The cop revealed an embassy official, police translator and prison guards were present at the meeting.

We can also reveal Glitter had up to FIVE girls at a time at his villa for private parties during Buchanan’s stay.

Victim Diem yesterday recalled the scene when she first arrived at the villa. She said: “Gary and his friend were drinking and dancing with five girls. I don’t know how old the girls were but they were all older than me. I asked my aunt, ‘Who are these girls?’ and she said ‘It’s none of your business. Gary doesn’t like anyone to ask about his private life.’ ”

Buchanan stayed in a bedroom of his own while Glitter slept with Oanh and Diem, beginning his abuse of Diem while Buchanan was there.

Diem added: “I don’t know if Gordon knew what was happening. I don’t think he did.”During his stay, Oanh grew close to Buchanan and later boasted to relatives she had a “rich boyfriend”.

Diem’s mother Tran Thi Phi Yen, 34, said: “Oanh came home telling everyone about ‘Golden’ (her name for Gordon). We were surprised because we thought Gary was her boyfriend.”

One Brit in Vung Tau who befriended Glitter said he met Buchanan during a barbecue at the pervert’s villa.

The expat, who asked not to be named, said: “There were lots of Vietnamese girls and Gary and Gordon were drinking and larking around with them around the pool. ”

Iain Buchanan admitted his horror at his brother’s involvement with Glitter.

Iain, who owns the English Cutting Company which Gordon runs, said: “I’m really upset and shocked. Who wants to be friendly with someone who is sticking up for Glitter? How naive and stupid of my brother. We are coming to an end as a family over this.”