A PAEDOPHILE has been babysitting for their neighbour in Gloucestershire, it has emerged.
It's one of seven chilling cases in the county where police have had to warn parents that someone who had committed a sexual offence was in contact with their child.
In one of the incidents which have taken place over the past two years, the parents were told that the neighbour looking after their offspring had previously abused children.
The information was revealed to the Echo through the Freedom of Information Act.
The request also revealed that there were times when people had asked for information on someone they suspected of being a sex offender, but that police refused to disclose it – to protect the abuser.
Officers are still allowed to withhold so-called "Sarah's Law" information if they believe the offender is at serious risk of harm, said Katy Roberts, spokesman for Gloucestershire police.
She added if officers were worried the person asking was planning to attack the sex abuser, they may decide to keep his or her criminal past a secret.
Though if a child was at risk, she said, police would act immediately.
"It's about weighing up the risk to the offender and the risk to any children or the person making the request," she said.
"It's very much on a case by case basis."
Since October 2010, police received 83 requests to check somebody's criminal past.
The disclosure scheme – known as Sarah's Law because it was introduced following the murder of Sarah Payne by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000 – was set up to allow parents check whether an adult in contact with their child had prayed on youngsters in the past.
Gloucestershire police would not comment on how many times they had refused to disclose information.
But they did say there are nearly 400 people on the county's sex offenders register.
Det Supt Paul Yeatman, of the Public Protection Bureau, said: "In Gloucestershire we consider the scheme to be a success.
"Since its inception we have seen a year on year increase in applications under the initiative as members of the public become increasingly aware of its significance and as a result there is no doubt children have been safeguarded. Although the amount of disclosures has been limited since its inception, some have been made and when you multiply these across the country, it represents a very significant number of children that have been safeguarded."
Mum-of-two Caroline Ryman is part of a voluntary babysitting group in Gotherington.
She said: "I can't imagine anybody around here who would ask the police or consider doing so before we babysit.
"That said, if we hire a nanny then I would make sure they were CRB checked and they would be cross referenced with the police."
The scheme was subject to a 12-month pilot in four police force areas between 2008 and 2009, before it was rolled out.
During the pilot, more than 60 children were protected from potential abuse.
To make an inquiry, ring the Gloucestershire Public Protection Bureau Central Referral Unit on 01242 247999 or ring 101.
For more information visit www.direct.gov.uk/keepingchildrensafe or www.parentsprotect.co.uk.
