A CONVICTED child sex offender, due to be released from prison in less than a month, has confessed that he will continue to pose a threat to young children.

And a full-time magistrate has called for urgent action from all agencies involved to tackle what he described as a matter of the "gravest public concern."

Bernard Snape, 64, was sentenced in August 1997 to two years in prison for four offences of indecent assault on young children in Blackburn. He was released on licence in August 1998 but was rearrested after failing to conform to a condition of his licence that he reside where directed by the probation service.

Since then he has been kept under segregation at Preston prison and has made regular appearances at Blackburn magistrates' court.

On the latest appearance stipendiary magistrate Jonathon Finestein described Snape's imminent release as a real problem. "When his period of licence is up he will be at liberty again and children will be at risk," said Mr Finestein.

"He has said, through his legal representatives, that when he is released he will be a risk to other young children, and I am very concerned about this. He has got to be found somewhere he can feel secure but which will, as best we can, restrict any tendencies he has.

"If he is released in February, without any supervision, he will be a risk and that is something which will be of concern to us all," he added. Solicitor Scott Ainge, who is representing Snape, said after the latest hearing that his client was as anxious as anyone to resolve the situation.

"I have asked him what is waiting for him when he gets out and he has said absolutely nothing," said Mr Ainge.

"Even at his age he wants some kind of rehabilitation and has always been willing to go on the sex offenders treatment programme. The waiting list for that programme during his custodial sentence was so long that he was released before he got chance to attend."

During his time in Preston prison, Snape has been segregated from other prisoners under Rule 43 which classifies him as "vulnerable."

"At the end of his sentence he is a free man and can go anywhere he wants," said Mr Ainge. "The only obligation he has is to give the police his address under the Sex Offenders Register but there will be no on-going support or supervision.

"He accepts that young children will be at risk but he is at risk himself and the main problem here is that there is no support network, no one to help once he is released from prison," added Mr Ainge.

Probation officer Ruth Byrom told Blackburn magistrates that senior management within the Lancashire Probation Service are involved with Snape's case and are seeking a solution.

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