Thousands of convicted sex offenders are living in the Thames Valley - but legal loopholes mean only 150 are registered and monitored by police.

The figures include many paedophiles who have served prison sentences and now live in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire or Berkshire.

Only in the past year have certain types of sex offenders, such as paedophiles and adult rapists, been forced to register with police under the Sex Offenders Act.

Thames Valley Police have so far registered 150 offenders while many others, released from prison before last year's law, go untraced.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Ringsell, head of the Thames Valley Family Protection Units based in Kidlington, said: "There are literally thousands of people living in the Thames Valley with convictions for sex offences; they are part of the community." But DCI Ringsell added: "There are very few predatory sex offenders stalking Oxford looking for a victim."

New laws being enforced from December 1 will give magistrates the power to restrict the movement of known paedophiles. Sex offenders seen prowling near school gates, or loitering in playgrounds, will be forced to stop or face up to five years in prison. The mother of a young child, whose children were abused in Sonning Common, near Henley, by child rapist Rhys Hughes, backed the new order.

She said: "When we had to tell her that the release date for Hughes was in September and that he was going to return, it was a constant reminder to her.

"I feel they have to live somewhere but to come back to the vicinity, and when they feel no remorse or guilt, they should not be allowed back. My daughter is still very much haunted by this.

"As far as civil rights go, we as parents have had none."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.