An internal report into how a convicted murderer freed on licence was able to kidnap and rape a ten-year-old boy could be made public, according to a Home Office minister.

Stephen Ayre, 44, was told he would spend the rest of his life in prison for raping the child which Ayre said he did because he wanted to return to prison.

West Yorkshire Pro-bation Service laun-ched a probe into how the crime was allowed to happen but had said the findings would not be made public.

The Telegraph & Argus and Bradford MPs have been pushing the Home Office for answers but the calls for transparency had fallen on deaf ears.

But Bradford South MP and new Home Office Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has now suggested the report could be made public, in a written reply to Shipley MP Philip Davies. Mr Sutcliffe said when the review is completed "consideration will then be given to dissemination of the conclusions."

He added: "Serious Further Offences reviews are an internal process carried out by the Probation Service to quality assure its risk assessment, risk management and offender management procedures. The SFO review of the supervision of Stephen Ayre by West Yorkshire Probation Area is not yet fully complete, and, as such, it would be inappropriate at present to discuss the conclusions."

Mr Davies said although the response did not confirm the results would be made public, it suggests the investigation, due to finish later this month, could be published. The Conservative MP said: "I would be happier if the Government said it would make the findings public but it is welcoming the door has been left open. It is a get-out clause for the Government as, if there is so much pressure on it to make the findings known, they cannot say they ruled it out.

"I believe it is to our advantage Gerry is a minister in the department."

GUIDELINES UNDER REVIEW

A number of high-profile killings by offenders on probation has led to a Government review of the guidelines.

Home Secretary John Reid made the announcement yesterday in a Parliamentary written statement about a damning report by an official watchdog into the case of Anthony Rice, who killed a mother-of-one only nine months after being freed from prison.

Inspector of Probation Andrew Bridges said there were "substantial deficiencies" in the way Rice was supervised by probation and other officials in Hampshire and he concluded that he was "too dangerous to be released in the first place".

Mr Reid pledged the Government would consider the report carefully and make improvements "through legislation if necessary".

He said: "The Government's first duty is to protect the citizens of this country and I am determined that we should make our systems as effective and efficient as possible in order to do this."