A CONVICTED sex offender has disappeared after being ordered by magistrates to stay at a Blackburn bail hostel.

Anthony Davis, 37, was ordered to stay at Howarth House bail hostel in St Peter's Street, in the town centre, when he appeared before magistrates in Blackpool for failing to sign the sex offenders register. But he did not arrive.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest and police are scouring the county for him.

Police and the probation service have said it was not their responsibility to ensure he arrived.

The case was highlighted just a day after police and probation chiefs launched their Multi Agency Public Protection Panels in Lancashire, designed to ensure better management of dangerous offenders.

Chief Constable Pauline Clare and Chief Probation officer John Crawforth signed the protocol at Lancashire Police HQ as part of their collaboration in dealing with criminals.

Davis, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty at Wednesday's hearing to an offence under the Sex Offender's Act of failing to notify police where he lived.

He was put on the register indefinitely in 1999 after he was jailed for three years for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13.

The court heard that since his release last year he had failed to notify police of his whereabouts on four separate occasions.

Magistrates ordered he stay at the Blackburn hostel while pre-sentence reports were prepared for his next appearance at the Blackpool court on October 18.

Coun Edward Harrison, who represents the area, criticised the decision to send Davis to live in Blackburn.

"This concerns me greatly because it has happened before that people like this have been sent to live here from other towns."

A police spokesman said: "Davis has not come to our attention for any other sexual offences since his release from a three-year prison sentence imposed for a sexual matter in 1998.

"He was bailed by the court to an address in Blackburn until the situation regrading his registration on the sex offenders register can be resolved.

"Ultimately it is his responsibility to travel to that address, although we are now making enquiries to discover exactly what was said in court about this matter and the arrangements made."

A spokesman for the Probation Service said Davis was not their responsibility until he arrived at the bail hostel.

Speaking about the new partnership, Mrs Clare said: "Local partnership working is the most effective foundation upon which to design sustainable solutions to local problems.

"This collaboration between the police and probation service represents a further step along the road."