Fears over paedophiles living in our communities have resurfaced after fresh plans emerged to house them in hostels across the UK.

Crime reporter CHRIS GREENWOOD investigates if those worries are justified.

NO sex offender or violent criminal living in North Yorkshire under special monitoring procedures has ever committed a further serious offence, the Evening Press has learned.

New figures reveal that more than 400 registered sex offenders and high risk violent criminals live in York and North Yorkshire, and the number is expected to grow.

But probation and police chiefs are confident that a risk management system aimed at protecting the public and rehabilitating offenders will continue to be a success.

The news comes after Home Office chiefs announced that paedophiles and other dangerous offenders are to be housed in five new hostels spread across England and Wales.

However, Probation Service heads insist there are no current plans for any new hostels to be established in York or North Yorkshire.

But the scale of the challenge facing them has emerged in a series of disturbing recent cases. These include:

A high-risk sex offender with convictions for indecent assaults on young boys found with plans for seducing and executing children.

A terminally-ill man with criminal connections and convictions for firearm offences threatened to kill himself and take others with him as his health deteriorated.

A man released after serving a long prison sentence for a serious violent assault was thought to still hold a grudge against his victim on his release, despite counselling.

Martin Murphy, who is responsible for public protection at North Yorkshire Probation Service, said the most dangerous offenders are monitored by Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).

He said: "People are much less likely to reoffend in a hostel than anywhere else, but the fact remains that local people do not want hostels in their area."

Chief Constable Della Cannings said the fact that no offender subject to MAPPA procedures has committed a further serious offence is testament to the successful collaboration between agencies.

She said: "Every effort is made by North Yorkshire Police and Probation Services to ensure that the management of relevant offenders is effective in preventing further harm."

Last month, York's controversial Southview Hostel hit the headlines once again when a convicted sex offender resident was caught talking to boys nearby, despite being banned from doing so.

Updated: 11:24 Saturday, September 11, 2004