Bradford's 100 most dangerous sex offenders, rapists and killers are under secret surveillance by the authorities, it has been revealed.

Police, probation officers and social services have identified the district's 150 most dangerous offenders - paedophiles, killers and rapists.

At any one time a third of these are behind bars.

But the other 100 are being watched carefully in a bid to protect children and other vulnerable victims.

Senior officers stress that Bradford's list is no worse than that of any other major town or city in the county where figures are kept.

But they add, their 100 targets are "just the tip of the iceberg" and parents are warned to be vigilant of sex offenders who go to great lengths to blend in with their communities.

Details of the little-known work of the inter-agency Public Protection Team have been revealed in a bid to reassure members of the public of their behind-the-scenes efforts.

And senior police officers say their approach has won dividends, its emphasis on prevention saving many children from sexual abuse.

Probation officers, police, social services and housing officials work together under the banner of the Public Protection Team, which is being emulated across the country.

When 'dangerous' prisoners near the end of prison terms, meetings take place in Bradford and information is shared on the offender's history. Plans are made as to how they can best be monitored and controlled.

Tactics include arranging for the offender to be re-homed in specific Council accommodation which makes for easy police surveillance.

In addition, members of the team lobby the Home Office to have special conditions imposed on prisoners eleased on licence - for example, banning them from certain addresses or whole parts of the district.

"There are 100 people whose movements we are endeavouring to monitor," said Superintendent Tony Whittle. "A nominated police officer will be responsible for keeping tabs on that individual and will do home visits and random visits with social workers, looking for changes in behaviour.

"If he had lost his job, started drinking heavily or been kicked out by his girlfriend, these things can act as a trigger and cause us concern."

Tiny changes in circumstances are noted, discussed, and could be acted upon. For example, if a known sex offender strikes up a relationship with a single mother with children, alarm bells ring for the team.

"For every notorious paedophile, you have thousands more who are in the family. It's the uncle, the live-in boyfriend or the kindly neighbour with the Sony Playstation," added Supt Whittle.

"They do not have weird, staring eyes - they are extremely good at merging into the background, they are nice and polite and they work by building up trust.

"These people are control freaks - they don't hide at bus stops."

Rapist Chris Clayton, of Ravenscliffe, Bradford, was jailed for 16 years after admitting seven rapes and six charges of indecent assault last year. At the time, people who knew him spoke of their shock that the "larger than life character" and "life and soul of the party" was capable of such atrocities.

Mark Siddall, of West Yorkshire Probation Service, added: "Parents should be eternally vigilant - check out anyone who takes an interest in your children."

He was described by unsuspecting acquaintances as a larger-than-life character, a real man's man.

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