FOR years the public have told the police and officials they could be trusted when it came to knowing the whereabouts of convicted paedophiles.

Some sections of our ‘guardians’ automatically dismissed as a dangerous vigilante anyone who showed any interest in knowing if someone had a conviction for molesting.

But that always did the vast majority of people a disservice, because all they wanted to know was whether they should take more precautions than usual to safeguard their children.

But finally we have a system coming into place where parents will be able to raise concerns with police and then receive a warning if there is substance to their fears.

Parents and the wider community are being trusted with the new ‘Sarah’s Law’.

There are two potential pitfalls. The first is a vigilante-style reaction if information is gleaned from police. That would do nothing but drive some convicted child molesters underground.

The second will be asking for checks to be done on the slighest suspicion or neighbourhood tittle-tattle, using up police time which should be used on bona fide cases.

It is now incumbent on everyone to show that this trust is deserved.