West Mercia Police run a Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme which allows members of the public – parents, carers, guardians or interested third parties – to ask the police to tell them about a person’s record of child sex offences if they are concerned about that person’s access to a child.

Threats to a child’s safety are more likely to originate from a family member or a friend of a family than a complete stranger. Around 75 per cent of child sex offenders are related to or known to their victim.

The police already disclose information about registered sex offenders and violent offenders in a controlled way to a variety of people, including headteachers, leisure centre managers, employers, landlords and parents. This disclosure scheme is an additional tool that the police can use to keep children safe.

Disclosure will only happen if the police believe there is a need to protect a child and that it is necessary and proportionate.

Information will only be disclosed to the person best-placed to protect the child and anyone receiving this information must keep it confidential and use it only to protect the child concerned.

Anyone who breaches the confidence of the scheme may have action taken against them by the police.

If there is no information to disclose, this does not necessarily mean there is no risk to the child.

Requests for disclosure can be made directly to a police officer, at a police station, by phone or contact the force by email (see our Contact Us section for full details of the ways to get in touch on our website westmercia.police.uk).

If you think a child is in immediate danger you should always call 999 and raise your concerns.

All requests for information are dealt with by West Mercia Police’s specialist Public Protection Unit, which has active measures in place to manage potentially dangerous offenders.

INSPECTOR PAUL CROWLEY, KIDDERMINSTER POLICE