It's understandable that there should be considerable concern after a violent sex offender absconded from the hostel in Bradford to which he had been sent after being released from prison on licence.

He has now been recaptured and returned to prison but the case raises significant questions.

James Edney, who was jailed eight years ago for the rape of a 16-year-old girl in Somerset, is considered to be a dangerous man.

The police made that clear when they put out a warning that he should not be approached. West Yorkshire Probation Service admit "there was never any doubt he was a high-risk offender".

So why was he allowed to live at a hostel run by Christian charity the Langley House Trust in a residential area of Allerton?

He was tagged, admittedly, but an electronic tag is not infallible - as Edney demonstrated by freeing himself from the one which was supposed to control his movements.

A joint inquiry is now underway involving the police, probation service, Home Office and the Trust to find out what went wrong in this case and see what lessons can be learned.

The inquiry's findings need to be made public. It is important for confidence in the system that there is full openness.

Members of the public are put in potential danger when violent criminals are freed on licence under supervision which, as Shipley MP Philip Davies points out, cannot eliminate the risk of them reoffending, only minimise it.

They deserve to be kept fully in the picture.