Disgraced pop star Gary Glitter has been smuggled out of prison at the end of his jail term after anonymous death threats were made against him.

Prison officials made special arrangements for the singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, for security reasons.

They refused to give any details in advance to reporters and photographers, many of whom camped overnight outside Bristol prison where Glitter, 55, has served two months of a four-month sentence.

He was jailed in November after admitting 54 charges of possessing child pornography downloaded from the internet.

Shortly after 8am, a marked police Peugeot Boxer van with blacked-out windows left the main prison gates and sped past waiting photographers.

A spokesman said special arrangements had been made for the singer "for his own safety".

He added: "It is our duty to protect the prisoner. He was released at the normal time but alternative arrangements were made for him."

Glitter and his solicitor were due to arrive by car at Regent's Park, central London at around lunchtime, Detective Inspector Gary Tuck, of Marylebone CID, said.

The singer was expected to emerge from his car for a brief statement and was then thought to be leaving for Heathrow airport and a flight out of the country.

Glitter has 14 days to inform police of his address in Britain but if he decides to remain abroad will not have to give details to the British authorities.

Earlier two fans of the singer arrived at Bristol prison in their Robin Rialto three wheeler car.

They parked at the entrance and played his hits at loud volume before they were moved on by police officers.

'New life in Cuba'

The singer is reported to have sold his house in Wedmore, Somerset, leaving only a home in London.

There is speculation he will begin a new life in Cuba with his Cuban girlfriend Yudenia Sosa Martinez, 26.

Glitter, who will remain on the sex offenders' register for seven years, admitted making indecent photographs of children under 16 between January and November, 1997.

The showman was caught when he took his computer to be repaired at a shop near Bristol and staff spotted the photographs.

His admissions came just hours after a trial jury cleared him of eight charges of sexually assaulting an underage fan, Allison Brown, who is now 34-years-old.

Her publicist Max Clifford said she thought he should have served longer in jail.

He said: "Naturally she is disappointed because she felt he should have been locked up for years and not weeks.

"But she is very happy that at least everyone knows Gary Glitter now."