A HIGH-level monitoring scheme has helped to prevent 637 sex offenders released into Lancashire communities from re-offending in the last year.

And police today re-assured people that keeping details of sex offenders' addresses from residents did not mean they weren't being protected.

The disclosure was made in the second annual report of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), which reviewed how the partnership between police and the probation service had controlled violent or sexual offenders released from prison last year.

Superintendent Gary Stephenson said police kept a constant eye on offenders and informed those who needed to know, including headteachers, landlords and employers.

Many offenders are released early from prison "on licence" after agreeing to conditions governing their behaviour.

He added: "Per 100,000 people in Lancashire, we have 45 high-profile offenders, which is about the national average. We are monitoring them and if there is a breach of their licence, we will send them back to prison."

Last year, while none of the monitored offenders were charged with further offences, 13 were sent back to prison for breaching their licence.

Colin Dearden, deputy chief officer of the Lancashire Probation Service, said: "We want to make Lancashire a safer place.

"The issue of disclosing information to third parties is a difficult one because individuals still have rights.

"Disclosing where an offender lives is only done with the approval of someone of Assistant Chief Constable level and normally with the offender's consent.

"We don't hang about if their behaviour looks like putting people at risk.

"It should give people in Lancashire a high measure of confidence in the arrangements we have in place."

Although the police and probation service are heavily involved, the board of MAPPA also has representatives from the prison service, local authority social services, child protection and health.

Together, they assess every offender to judge their level of risk and make a plan to protect the public.

Action taken includes monitoring the behaviour of the offenders, finding suitable accommodation and providing them with treatment, such as programmes for drugs and mental health.

Some 1,419 offenders are monitored by MAPPA.

Of those, 92 were classed as of the 'highest risk'.

The police and probation service have been sharing information for seven years.

However, MAPPAs were only introduced across the country in April 2001 after the introduction of government legislation which detailed their setting up.