A CONVICTED sex offender failed to notify police when he moved out of his address in Accrington.

Blackburn magistrates heard Waheed Talib Hussain also failed to reveal he had obtained a passport before travelling to Morocco both of which put him in breach of the sex offender registration he was subject to.

Hussain, 38, of Richmond Road, Accrington, pleaded guilty to three failures to comply with notification requirements. He was remanded on bail until October 27 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Hussain was put on the sex offender register for five years in May 2016.

"The register is all about managing sex offenders in the community to ensure public safety," said Miss Allan. "One of the things the police need to know is where people are so they can be monitored."

Miss Allan said Hussain had given an address in Blackburn Road, Accrington, but when police went on a routine compliance visit they were informed he had left.

"Inquiries revealed he had applied for a passport and left the country, travelling to Morocco," said Miss Allan. "Some breaches are just when they fail to re-register their address. He had moved and actually left the country which represents a deliberate failure to comply."

Miss Allan said Hussain was arrested as he returned to the UK.

Imran Hussain, defending, said that while all sex offences are serious his client's index offence, which did not involve children, was dealt with by the magistrates court by way of a community order.

"The breach arose because he felt his personal circumstances where overwhelming him," said Mr Hussain. "He decided it would be a good idea to de-stress and go on a holiday. He told the people at the supported accommodation what he planned and handed in his notice."

Mr Hussain said his client was entitled to change address, entitled to apply for a passport and entitled to go abroad on holiday.

"The mischief is that he didn't tell the police what he was doing," said Mr Hussain. "He didn't try and disguise what he was doing he just didn't tell the police."

Mr Hussain said that until five years ago his client had been a happily married man working as a school teacher.

"Unfortunately for him his mental health deteriorated and he finds himself before the court this morning," he said.