South Africa police hunt tweeting spy

Municipal police are in charge of traffic in South African cities

South Africa's municipal police are searching for a man using social networking site Twitter to warn about police road blocks and speed traps.

The man, who calls himself PigSpotter, has gained more than 6,000 followers since he started his reports in July.

He has been interviewed on local radio stations, defending his actions.

Johannesburg municipal police told the BBC he could be charged with obstructing justice.

"We have information on him and are looking at the possibility of making an arrest soon," Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said.

"Even if he stops what he is doing, he has already warned a lot of would-be offenders and would still need to appear in court," he said.

But PigSpotter denied he was breaking the law.

"The police have to be visible when they are doing speed traps so them hiding themselves is illegal - that is why I do what I do," he said in an interview on radio 702.

He also defended his use of pig references in his tweets, saying it was purely to make people laugh.

Some of his followers have hailed him as a hero, with many thanking him for saving them money on traffic fines, while other have warned him of the consequences of his actions which could include jail.