CONVICTED paedophiles living in Halton are being closely monitored, Cheshire police reassured parents this week.

A close check is being kept of everyone on the sex offender register.

A Cheshire police spokeswoman said: "If there is a sex offender living in a community, we know where they are and what they are doing. If they pose a threat, we will tell you."

A recent review of the sex offender register, she said, showed that the system was working "very effectively".

Under community disclosure legislation, procedures are in place to ensure the public is not at risk.

A police spokeswoman added: "If there is a sex offender within a community who poses a threat to a section of that community, the police and liaison agencies can disclose to that section of the community that a risk exists."

However, Cheshire police stressed that not everyone on the sex offender register poses a risk to the community.

"The ones that are are relatively few."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.