A CONVICTED paedophile has been told he can remain a member of a naturist club after police failed in a bid to rein in his naked trips to Alton Towers.

Detectives hauled Robert Enright, who has convictions for indecent assault and making indecent photos of children, before the court after discovering that he had joined British Naturism on outings to the Staffordshire theme park and Waterworld.

Enright, of Roselands Avenue, Brierfield, was pictured in a group photo with hundreds of other naturists, including children, Burnley Crown Court heard.

But Judge Beverley Lunt has ruled that there was no evidence the 51-year-old had “associated” with under 16s, which he is banned from doing under the terms of a sexual offences prevention order.

Police chiefs said they were “extremely disappointed” at the decision and would be re-examining the restrictions placed on Enright’s movements.

Lawyers representing Enright had previously successfully inserted a clause in the order which did not restrict him from communication with youngsters for “legitimate purposes” at public events.

Robert Platts, defending, said Enright had joined British Naturism in July 2006, a month before the sex order came into force.

The court heard that he was arrested after police attended his home in June 2008 and discovered he was a member of the British Naturism.

Further investigations revealed that he had been on outings with the group to Alton Towers and Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent.

Enright was charged with six counts of breaching his sex offenders order and six charges of making indecent photos of a child.

Prosecutors dropped the indecent photos charges at court yesterday after being informed that the pictures were in a publicly-available book by American author Robert Sturgess, which could be bought at Waterstones.

Kath Johnson, prosecuting, said it was the crown’s case that Enright had breached his order by “associating” with the naturist group at events where children were present.

But Judge Lunt said: “It is not enough to say he was participating in the British Naturism group. The prohibition is one of him associating with someone under 16. I have not seen a shred of evidence that he has done so.”

The judge said that he had attended the Alton Towers event for at least two years without incident, and he had not offended for eight years.

Enright was jailed for 15 months in 2000 after being convicted of one indecent assault charge and 11 offences of making indecent images of children.

The former engineering firm boss took photos of under-age schoolgirls for sexual kicks, the court had heard.

Speaking after the case, Det Insp Jim Elston, of Lancashire Police’s public protection unit for East Lancashire, said he acknowledged and respected the judge’s ruling but the order would be reviewed in relation to Enright.

DI Elston added: “I am certainly extremely disappointed though. Police applied for a sexual offences prevention order in the first instance to prevent this type of activity.

“He is a convicted sex offender and this is the kind of association which the police wanted to prohibit.”

Judge Lunt ordered not guilty charges on all 12 offences and for the defendant’s costs to be awarded from central funds.

Enright remains under the terms of the sexual offences prevention order, and is on the sex offenders register until 2010.