Thanks to a scheme rolled out in 2010, you take the right to know if a rapist or paedophile is living on your street.

The kid sex offender disclosure scheme in England and Wales (too sometimes known as "Sarah'due south Police"), allows anyone to ask the police if someone with access to a child has a record for kid sexual offences.

Police force volition reveal details confidentially to the person most able to protect the child (usually parents, carers or guardians) if they call back it is in the kid's interests.

Here'south how information technology works:

What is the background to the scheme?

Sarah Payne

Sarah Payne

The law was developed in consultation with Sara Payne whose eight-year-old daughter Sarah was murdered by a convicted paedophile.

Sarah, who lived in Hersham, Surrey, disappeared on the evening of July ane, 2000 from a cornfield near the home of her paternal grandparents in Kingston Gorse, W Sussex.

A body was institute on July 17, 2000 in a field near Pulborough, some 15 miles from Kingston Gorse where she disappeared. It was confirmed as being Sarah.

Roy Whiting was convicted of the abduction and murder of Sarah on December 12, 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Subsequently he was convicted, it was revealed that Whiting had previously abducted and sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl and had served four years in prison.

Ms Payne campaigned to bring in a law which allows every parent in the country to know if dangerous offenders are living in their surface area.

Who goes on the Sex Offenders' Register?

Roy Whiting who was convicted of murdering schoolgirl Sarah Payne

Roy Whiting who was bedevilled of murdering schoolgirl Sarah Payne

Remember that what constitutes 'sex offender' doesn't necessarily hateful 'paedophile'.

A broad multifariousness of people are placed on the Sex Offenders' Register every year, after receiving a caution or being convicted of an offence.

This could be, for instance, a man who received a caution for having smacked a girl on the buttocks while she was passing him on the street, a 22-twelvemonth-old female teacher who had sexual intercourse with her xv-twelvemonth-former student, or at the very astringent finish of the scale, someone like Roy Whiting, who killed Sarah Payne.

Similarly, sex activity offenders are on the Sexual activity Offenders' Register for differing lengths of time, depending on the type of offence:

With the exception of prison sentences of thirty months or more than, minors (offenders under the historic period of 18) will accept their registration menses halved.

How do I access the information?

Important: If you experience a child is in firsthand danger, you should call 999 straight abroad.

In all other circumstances that are not an emergency, yous can request information relating to a child that you are in a position to protect or safeguard past calling 101 or visit your local law station.

Alternatively you lot tin can go to a police station and enquire them for a 'Kid Sex Offenders Disclosure Scheme Class' (Sarah's Constabulary), or Course 284.

If constabulary checks prove the individual has a tape for child sexual offences, or other offences that might put the child at take a chance, the police will consider sharing this information.

Yous should know that disclosure is non guaranteed - the law will just consider telling the person all-time placed to protect the child – usually a parent, carer or guardian – if the person being checked has a record of child sexual offences or other offences that indicate they may pose a hazard to a child.

The police will disclose information just if it is lawful, necessary and proportionate to do then in the interests of protecting the kid, or children, from harm.

For more advice and data on protecting children from abuse, visit the Parents Protect website

Simply you should know that even if police do release the information, parents and carers must keep the information confidential and only use it to proceed their child safe. Legal activity may be taken if confidentiality is breached.