Britain has expressed willingness for greater international cooperation in the areas of crime intelligence and child protection policies, including with the Malaysian authorities.

A British High Commission spokesperson said the United Kingdom took an extremely serious view of paedophilia and offences against children.

"Where British nationals commit such offences, anywhere in the world, we will work to bring offenders to justice and ensure victims get the right protection and treatment. International cooperation is critical for that.

"Our engagement with the Malaysian authorities on the Richard Huckle case, since 2014, reflects that. Criminals know no borders," the spokesperson said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

British paedophile Huckle, 30, was sentenced to life in prison by a London court today, for abusing 23 Malaysian and Cambodian babies and children over almost a decade.

Meanwhile, James Traynor, from the UK's National Crime Agency's (NCA) Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command, said the NCA worked to track down Huckle and end his prolific abuse, using the Section 72 legislation.

The section allows UK nationals to be prosecuted in the UK for offences committed overseas.

"Richard Huckle spent several years integrating himself into the community in which he lived, making himself a trusted figure... but he abused that trust in the worst possible way.

"He deliberately travelled to a part of the world where he thought he could abuse vulnerable children without being caught... Borders are no barrier – we are determined that those who go abroad to abuse children will be held to account," said Traynor.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) leads UK law enforcement's fight to cut serious and organised crime.

The agency has national and international reach and the mandate and powers to work in partnership with other law enforcement organisations to bring the full weight of the law to bear in cutting serious and organised crime.

- Bernama