Photographs of four convicted paedophiles who have failed to sign on the British sex offenders register have been released to a Sunday newspaper by the Metropolitan Police in a bid to track them down, the force said.
Scotland Yard's Paedophile Unit took the unusual step of giving the
News of the World
pictures of four sex offenders who have served their jail sentences but have since gone missing and unlawfully failed to notify police of their whereabouts.
Under the 1997 Sex Offenders Act those released from custodial sentences for child sex offences must notify police of their name and address within three days of release.
Raymond Perkins, David Baron, Zia Alowi and Tuan Quang Ho have failed to do so and their precise whereabouts are now unknown. They are thought to be in the London area.
Detective Chief Inspector Bob McLachlan of the Paedophile Unit urged the public to be "vigilant but not vigilante".
He said: "The Metropolitan Police Service Paedophile Unit has taken the unusual step of releasing photographs of convicted sex offenders in a bid to trace them. Raymond Perkins, David Baron, Zia Alowi and Tuan Quang Ho have all been convicted of sexual offences against children. They have since been released from prison but have breached their obligation under the Sex Offenders Act 1997 by failing to sign on the sex offenders register.
"They are all thought to be in the London area although they could be living elsewhere. I want to encourage the public to be vigilant, not vigilante."
Writing in today's News of the World, British Home Secretary Mr David Blunkett vowed that within a year he would put a Bill before Parliament giving "stronger sentences", with life for some sex offences.
He also said community representatives would have a role in managing sex offenders, for whom tagging would be considered.
Mr Blunkett wrote: "This is not about these community members being able to take lists of offenders and give them out to neighbours and friends, but an important way of ensuring the local area feels they have a voice."
Referring to the conviction on Wednesday of Roy Whiting, for the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne, he wrote: "Sarah's death was a terrible tragedy but I believe her legacy will be a safer society in which sex offenders stay longer behind bars."
The original newspaper campaign sparked a flurry of vigilante activity and disorder.
Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of the four convicted paedophiles should contact the British Metropolitan Police Service Child Pornography Information Line on 080 8100 0040 or the Metropolitan Police on 020 7230 3104.
PA