POLICE have scaled back their hunt for a missing Burnley sex offender who is believed to have fled to France from Jersey in a kayak.

Gerard Hayslop, 26, has not been seen since August when he skipped bail after admitting child porn offences.

It is believed he had gone to Jersey where he then, with his pregnant girlfriend Louise Howarth-Lee, 20, travelled to France in a kayak.

A UK warrant was issued for his arrest in August and Lancashire police bosses initially said they were to obtain a European arrest warrant in a bid to bring Hayslop back from France.

Officers also said they were to carry out DNA tests on clothes left behind in Jersey to confirm that the missing kayakers were Hayslop and Ms Howarth-Lee.

But now it has emerged that police have not arranged for these DNA tests and are not obtaining the warrant "at this stage".

Lancashire police said that instead they were waiting information which they would pass to the French authorities.

Haylop's father, Gerard senior has hit out at the police for their stance.

Mr Hayslop snr, of Hollingreave Road, Burnley, said: "I am not happy with the investigation it has been a couple of months and as far as I am aware there really isn't an investigation going on.

"I think it is important for the police to catch him to prevent anything else happening .

"They need to apply for the European arrest warrant because without it he is just another immigrant in France."

Hayslop and Ms Howarth-Lee were last seen at a Jersey campsite and police believe they left the false names, Andrew Keeble and Hannah Tye and an address in Healey Wood Road, Burnley.

A spokesperson for the police said: "As far as the investigation goes we have not had a positive identification of the pair.

"There is no European arrest warrant at this stage.

"We are in regular contact with the family and if we get any information it will be passed to the French authorities."