A 29-year-old Acomb woman kissed a 14-year-old boy on the lips after too many vodkas and was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register.

Yet a clearly dangerous man who tried to abduct a young girl at a bus stop and who, we reveal today, has also made an approach to another child, escaped the register because of a loophole in the law. You might think there is something wrong here. We do. That is why The Press is campaigning for a change in legislation after it emerged people like child predator Terry Delaney could not be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for the offence of attempted child abduction.

We do not belittle or excuse the woman's actions in her boozy kiss for a young boy. But it pales in comparison with the actions of the dangerous Delaney who, in April, was jailed for four years for the attempted kidnap of 13-year-old Natalie Hick.

Today a mother reveals how former Nestl worker Delaney approached her four-year-old daughter, stroked her hair and made suggestive comments.

Yet the Crown Prosecution Service will not press charges because, under the present law, Delaney still could not be registered as a sex offender.

The Home Office may have big things on its plate with foreign criminals on the run; with the scandal of the innocent, decent British people it had labelled as criminals; and with illegal immigrants found working in - the Home Office. But a change in the child abduction laws now would be relatively quick to achieve and could save so many children from potential harm. We had asked Charles Clarke, before his removal from office, to effect this change and we were optimistic. We are now seeking a meeting with the new Home Secretary to pursue that progress. For the sake of children everywhere.

Updated: 09:49 Tuesday, May 23, 2006