POLICE and education chiefs today set out to reassure parents over security checks carried out on people employed to work with children after a former school caretaker was found guilty of rape.

Graham Walsh, 34, who abused a child for 10 months while working at a school was convicted of raping the girl at Burnley Crown Court yesterday.

But the authorities revealed they were helpless to flag-up any dangers as the complaints against Walsh were not made until April 2003 - five months after he had finished work at the Darwen primary school.

Today ward councillor Kevin Connor condemned the behaviour as "appalling" and urged all teachers and parents to watch for any warning signs.

The divorced father-of-one was employed at St Peter's CE School in Darwen between February 2001 and November 2002. He was found guilty of the "vile behaviour" on the girl, who was not a pupil, between March 2000 and January 2003.

Blackburn with Darwen education authority said vetting procedures in place at present cannot protect against the potential dangers of someone with no criminal history.

Phil Watson, chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said: "All council departments carry out Criminal Records Bureau checks on all staff working directly with children. We also carry out other statutory checks, as appropriate, and follow up references".

Peter Morgan, director of education and lifelong learning at the council, said: "Our policy is not to comment on individual employees, past or present. We have always followed and continue to follow national guidelines and policies regarding the proper checks on people who work in close proximity to children to ensure satisfactory clearance is obtained before they start work. In the past this involved police checks on any previous convictions."

Liberal Democrat Coun Connor, of Marsh House ward, said: "It is very worrying to think someone can be working in school when they have sinister intentions. Like many parents, I struggle to understand how anyone can do this.

"It is down to judging someone's character and everyone must watch for changes in behaviour or warning signs."

Lancashire's Assistant Chief Constable Adrian McAllister explained the police vetting process for people working with children in East Lancashire in the wake of the Ian Huntley investigation. He said current and historic information held about convictions, court proceedings, intelligence, arrest data and other details held as a result of inquiries conducted by officers were all filed.

He said the "overriding duty" was always to protect vulnerable members of society - so any information considered to be relevant to the post will be disclosed.

Someone applying for the post of a school caretaker should also be subject to the highest level of checks by the Criminal Records Bureau.