Sarah’s law will be launched in Dorset – along with 17 other police force areas across the county – from Sunday, August 1, this year.

Dorset Police disclosure scheme lead Detective Inspector Sarah Derbyshire said the force was looking forward to adopting it.

“Pilot schemes undertaken in other parts of the country have been very well received by those living within trial areas,” she said.

“As a result, we are pleased to adopt the Child Sex Offenders Disclosure Scheme in Dorset for the first time.”

Under the scheme, those applying for information must live in Dorset – as must the person they are enquiring about.

Dorset Police say disclosure is not guaranteed in all cases but that the safety of the child concerned would come first.

The information will usually be given to those best able to protect youngsters – such as parents, carers or guardians – who are then banned from passing it on.

Det Insp Derbyshire added: “Dorset Police works extremely hard to safeguard children within our communities and we are keen to adopt this new service to further strengthen our safeguarding procedures.

“We would urge anyone who has a concern about the welfare of their children to please come forward and talk to us.”

l Parents with immediate concerns for the safety of their child should contact Dorset Police on 01305 222222.

For more information on recognising the signs of child sex abuse, call the Stop It Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900.

The pilot scheme

THE new scheme was originally trialled in Hampshire, Cambridgeshire, Warwickshire and Cleveland over 12 months.

The Home Office says the take-up was lower than expected, with 315 applications from parents and carers during that period.

In total, police revealed information on 31 individuals who were either child sex offenders or posed risks in other ways during the pilot.

In one case a neighbour who tried to befriend children by offering them sweets was found to be a sex offender and arrested and remanded in custody.

The trial showed most applicants were worried about an ex-partner’s new partner (17 per cent), neighbours (16 per cent) and family members or their friends (16 per cent).

Home Secretary Alan Johnson says the pilot helped to protect 60 children, encouraging the Government to ‘spread it much wider’.

The scheme, which will go nationwide in March 2011, had prompted fears sex offenders could be ‘driven underground’ as a result.

But ministers say those concerns did not materialise and the majority of requests were well intentioned, with just three ‘spurious applications’.

Sarah Payne

THE pilot sex offender disclosure scheme was developed after the murder of Sarah Payne by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting.

Sarah, eight, disappeared from near her grandparents’ home in July 2000 and her body was found in a field around two weeks later.

Whiting, who was on the Sex Offenders Register, was convicted of Sarah’s abduction and murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Her mother Sara Payne led a long campaign for ‘Sarah’s Law’ – a UK equivalent of the American Megan’s Law, which sees details of where convicted paedophiles live published.

She said she was ‘delighted’ the hard work had paid off, giving parents and carers a right to check adults with access to their children were not dangerous.

“The input of the police, children’s charities and academics to the pilots has ensured consensus has been reached and we are working together to keep children safe,” she said.