CAMPAIGNERS claim that fears over the safety of East Lancashire's bail hostels were justified after a review into how serious criminals are monitored was ordered.

The Home Secretary Dr John Reid ordered the review yesterday after a Panorama investigation revealed that serious criminals and child sex offenders were not being properly monitored after being released into bail hostels.

The review comes just months after a Lancashire Telegraph investigation led to the removal of paedophiles and sex offenders from the Blackburn bail hostel Haworth House, located just metres away from schools and a children's day care centre in Saint Peter's Street.

It was from this hostel that sex offender Michael Andrew Wilson, 44, went on the run after not returning for his curfew last October.

Wilson was also one of the first people in England to breach a sex-offender order in 1999, when a similar hunt was launched for him.

At that time he prompted an internal inquiry by the Probation Service after he left his Accrington bail hostel unsupervised, caught a train to Preston and approached a four-year-old boy.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope, whose constituency houses Highfield House bail hostel, said he had requested a meeting with the chief probation officer for Lancashire to discuss the situation and to ask how offenders are monitored when away from the hostel.

He said: "We have been highly concerned for some time that the curfews that apply to offenders are not always appropriate to the type of offender.

"We have to be really tough with offenders in bail hostels and implement the most rigorous checks to ensure their behaviour is closely monitored at all times - not just during their curfew.

"The Probation Service must look at the hours of the curfews when dealing with dangerous and sex offenders and paedophiles to ensure they are suitable.

"We really do need to look most seriously into the system of monitoring offenders at bail hostels to allay the genuine concerns of the people in East Lancashire and to protect the public at all times."

Blackburn MP and Leader of the Commons Jack Straw (pictured) said: "I am glad the Home Secretary has called for a review after shortcomings in the system were highlighted.

"The review can only help to benefit the way in which offenders are monitored and given the public more peace of mind.

"Performance must be up to standard as shortcomings in monitoring dangerous offenders can have catastrophic consequences."

Anne Mathews, spokeswoman for Lancashire Probation Service, said that although offenders are not under 24 hour supervision, if an offender fails to comply with hostel rules, staff immediately take action to have the offender arrested and returned to prison.

She said: "The evidence in Lancashire is that these arrangements are very effective."