Acclaimed director Roman Polanski has been denied bail by a court in Switzerland and will have to remain in a Swiss prison pending possible extradition to the US for having sex with a 13 year-old-girl. The 76-year-old has been denied bail in Switzerland because it was feared he would flee abroad, the Swiss justice ministry revealed, thesun.co.uk reported.

The Oscar-winning director was arrested at Zurich Airport on September 26 when he arrived for an awards ceremony. He was held on a 1978 US warrant for having sex with a 13-year-old at Jack Nicholson's Hollywood home.

Polanski, who won the Oscar for The Pianist, has been on the run from the US for more than 30 years. He had admitted the offence in an American court and was due to be sentenced when he fled.

His lawyers have filed a motion appealing his arrest with the Federal Criminal Court in Switzerland - where bail is rare. A ruling is expected by the end of this week.

If Polanski's appeal is rejected, he will be allowed to lodge a further appeal to Switzerland's highest court. He is being held in Zurich prison.

Polanski, who directed classics like Chinatown, has travelled widely in Europe. He owns a chalet in Switzerland. But Swiss authorities say an earlier arrest was not possible as they did not know his exact whereabouts.