THE Government has been urged to ensure that paedophile David Lutz Ward could be kept in custody even when his prison sentence ends.

York MP Hugh Bayley has written to the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, saying Ward should be transferred to a secure mental hospital if he is still a threat to society when eligible to be freed.

Ward, 41, of Acomb, York, was described as one of the most depraved sex monsters Britain had ever seen after being convicted of running one of the largest child porn rings in the world - setting out to be the "premier baby sex file server" on the internet.

He was originally jailed for 19 years after pleading guilty to attempting to rape a nine-month-old baby and possessing more than 25,000 child porn images, described as being among some of the worst ever seen by investigating officers.

But last week Ward, formerly of Merton Court, had his sentence cut by four years - appeal judges said he had not been given enough credit for admitting his crimes.

Ward maintained his baby victim had not been adversely affected because she was "unknowing".

But the court heard that the child had expressed "fear and real distress" during her horrific ordeal.

Mr Bayley, who said the horrific case "makes my blood run cold", said the parole board had to step in when Ward's sentence was complete.

He said: "This man is so sick and depraved that he should never be released if there is any danger of him re-offending.

"If he is blind to the horror of the offence on his victim then he is not of sound mind.

"If he is a danger to the public he should be treated like others who are not of sound mind and put in protective custody.

"At the end of his sentence, the parole board should decide whether to take him back to court so he can be sent to a secure mental hospital, like Broadmoor, if they think it is not safe to let him back into society.

"I have written to Home Secretary Charles Clarke to ask him to consider this."

A Home Office spokeswoman said it could not comment on circumstances which were more than a decade away.

But she said: "This would be a matter for the parole board and it would be up to that body to consider an offender's suitability for parole."

Detective Sergeant Steve Smith, who led the North Yorkshire Police investigation into Ward said: "There has never been anything to suggest that Lutz Ward is suffering from any mental illness.

"If, and when he is released, his management will be an issue for the local authorities and police."

Updated: 09:52 Thursday, May 12, 2005