PICTURES of convicted paedophiles could be released to schools and families thought to be at risk as part of Lancashire Police's attempts to tackle re-offending.

The force's decision to alert teachers and parents has been revealed after a string of incidents across the country involving child sex offenders posing a potential threat to the public.

Force bosses have revealed that they would agree to release pictures, after getting legal approval, when they feared the public were in danger and have already done so on a limited number of occasions.

Last month, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that convicted paedophile Robert Williams was living in council flats overlooking St Alban's RC Primary School in Blackburn without the knowledge of the education authority and local parents. And police in Rossendale have issued a warning to school headteachers after a convicted child sex abuser was transferred from the secure Ashworth Hospital in Liverpool to the "open doors" Heightside nursing home in Newchurch, close to two local primary schools. Cases involving paedophiles released into the community have prompted calls for a national paedophile register to allow police and social services to keep track of sex offenders who can currently move freely around the country.

Lancashire Police have confirmed that they would release pictures of sex offenders on a confidential basis to people thought to be at risk following a paedophile's release into the community.

A spokesman said: "Where schools and other people are thought to be at risk, the release of a convicted sex offender's picture is something we would consider.

"But this would be done on a confidential basis to advise people we thought could be at risk of the potential danger."

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