THE mother of a York teenager who escaped the clutches of a would-be child snatcher has called on police to reveal the identity of two sex offenders from North Yorkshire who are on the run.

Latest figures show there are 392 registered sex offenders in North Yorkshire, three of whom have absconded.

One of the trio is Stephen John Burnell, one of Britain’s most wanted paedophiles.

Detectives have not known the whereabouts of the 56-year-old, who lived in the South Bank area, for more than two years.

But North Yorkshire Police have refused to name the other two fugitives or the reasons they were registered sex offenders.

A force spokeswoman said it would already have made public their identity if there was a significant risk. But the force’s decision has sparked criticism from June Briggs, whose teenage daughter, Natalie Hick, was the victim of an attempted abduction in Acomb, York.

Mrs Briggs, of Strensall, near York, said: “I just don’t understand how they can pick and choose the people whose identity they release to the public.

“In my opinion, all sex offenders are dangerous and it’s the public’s right to know who they are. As parents, we have to know.

“If the police are aware that there are criminals out there and they’re not naming them then how can anyone protect their children.” A police spokeswoman said: “Each case is different, with each offender posing different levels of risk.

“If we believed individuals, communities or the general public were at risk from a missing offender we would take the necessary steps to notify the relevant people. “Protecting the public, especially children and vulnerable members, is our highest priority. It is essential that inappropriate disclosure does not undermine the arrangements we have in place to manage sexual and violent offenders.”

Last year, North Yorkshire Police had two registered sex offenders recorded as wanted, in 2007, the figure was two, having risen from one in the preceding year.

Burnell, who attacked a nine-year-old girl in York, was jailed for six years in his absence in March 2007 after being convicted of one charge of attempted rape, two charges of making pornographic photos of his victim and eight sex attacks.

It was only after repeated calls from The Press that police released a picture of Burnell when he first absconded.

The spokeswoman said efforts were ongoing to try and trace the missing offenders “While we cannot go into specific detail of investigative methods, we work closely with all UK and appropriate international agencies to locate missing offenders,” the spokeswoman said. “In some circumstances we will appeal through the media for the public to assist us with our investigations.

“One of the current three missing offenders is Stephen Burnell who has been the subject of media appeals at local, national and international level. He is currently featured on the Most Wanted section of the BBC Crimewatch website and is one of the top four most wanted by the police partnership Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

“We also work in partnership with other agencies including the Prison and Probation Services under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). These arrangements are designed to manage registered sex offenders within the community and prevent reoffending.”

York MP Hugh Bayley said it was right for the police to decide which of the cases they publicised.

“I think the police know who the people are, what offences they’ve committed, how likely they are to reoffend and the best way of catching them and getting them back under supervision.”