Pro life murder

Police have captured the man they say is responsible for the murder of a controversial American doctor who provided late-term abortions.

George Tiller was shot dead outside his church

Dr Tiller and the scene of the shooting in Kansas

Scott Roeder, 51, was detained 170 miles from the scene where the doctor was shot dead at a Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas.

Roeder was detained three hours after the Sunday shooting in suburban Kansas City.

His victim, 67-year-old Dr George Tiller, was one of the few doctors who still terminated late-term pregnancies in the United States.

Dr Tiller was demonised by abortion opponents, who regularly protested outside his Wichita clinic.

President Obama expressed shock and outrage at his murder.

He said: "However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence."

There was no immediate word on the motive of Dr Tiller's killer.

But his violent death was the latest in a string of shootings and bombings over two decades directed against abortion clinics, doctors and staff.

Dr Tiller had already been on the receiving end of a series of violent incidents. In 1986, a bomb was placed on the roof of his clinic, seriously damaging the building.

In 1993, he was shot in both arms outside the clinic. He recovered and his attacker was given an 11-year prison term.

Some 2,000 protesters were also arrested outside the clinic during summer-long demonstrations in 1991.

Dr Tiller was acquitted in March on charges that he performed 19 illegal abortions in 2003.

The killing comes as the Obama administration is seeking confirmation to the US Supreme Court of Sonia Sotomayor, a liberal judge whom many anti-abortion groups have vowed to oppose.

A more liberal selection of judges on the US's highest court is likely to see the controversial issue readdressed in favour of the pro-abortion lobby.

Currently whether or not abortions are permitted is decided separately by each US state.

But a new federal decision by the Supreme Court could see the issue decided by the national government, which is likely to permit abortions under President Obama