POLICE were checking Gary Glitter’s phone last night after a Sun tip-off that he was talking about accessing the Dark Web.
The pop paedophile, 78, hid under a blanket as an unmarked police car took him from a bail hostel to jail.
Hostel residents cheered as he was driven away at 6.05pm.
One said: “Good riddance! We don’t want him back.”
Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, had been released from prison last month after serving half a 16-year term for child-sex crimes.
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The Sun on Sunday revealed film of him with the phone at the South of England hostel.
We passed on the footage to probation chiefs.
And police were understood to have monitored Glitter’s phone remotely.
A source said yesterday: “The Sun’s story provoked reaction at the highest levels. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab was briefed.
“The pictures and comments ascribed to Glitter raised concerns about public protection and from there it was clear action was likely to be taken.”
Another added: “Glitter is suspected of trying to access prohibited material online. It is thought those attempts were unsuccessful, but that in itself is enough to reach the recall threshold.
“However, his phone will now be forensically analysed to determine exactly what he might have been searching for.”
The Probation Service confirmed Glitter’s recall, saying: “Protecting the public is our priority.
“That’s why we set tough licence conditions and when offenders breach them, we don’t hesitate to return them to custody.”
The Parole Board will rule on any re-release.
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The Sun understands Deputy PM Mr Raab, also the Justice Secretary, has demanded a full report from officials on the scandal.
A source said: "The mood music is heading in one direction.
"The Deputy PM has now taken a personal interest, as you would expect.
"The pictures and comments in themselves are enough to have raised serious concerns."
Glitter, a glam-rock star of the 1970s, was first jailed in 1997 after being caught with 4,000 child abuse images.
In the new film, he says to a pal: “Let’s try and find this Onion. One step at a time.”
Onion is said to be a reference to the Dark Web, used by paedophiles as it is hard to trace.
Ex-Justice Secretary Robert Buckland called for swift action.
Ex-Met Det Supt Michael Hames, who set up Scotland Yard’s paedophile unit, added: "This is extremely disturbing and shows that he’s attempting to access material he should not.”
Glitter was last jailed in 2015 for sexually abusing girls under 13. He was freed from a Dorset prison last month.
