CHILDREN in three Ribble Valley villages were urged to get personal alarms at a meeting to discuss the activities of a convicted sex offender.

The 61-year-old, named only as Jack, was sentenced to three years probation in January after he admitted indecently assaulting a 12-year-old girl, gross indecency and perverting the course of justice.

Although his home address is in Cumbria he is originally from Blackburn and villagers in Balderstone were alarmed to discover he had been staying in a static caravan in a local farmer's field.

Crime prevention officer Sergeant Alan Holt told a packed meeting in St Leonard's C of E School in the village that children should be given personal alarms costing £3.99 each.

Pupils at the school were due to be given a talk by police today urging them to "say no" to strangers and other talks are being arranged for schools in Osbaldeston and Mellor at the request of parents.

Mr Holt said it was vital to educate youngsters to "stranger danger" and give them protection in the form of the alarms.

But he described the man as a "low risk" offender and added: "The chances of him re-offending are slim but I'm not saying it couldn't happen."

PC Lawrence Elphick said he had made a point of speaking to the man every day to let him know that the police were aware of him. However, he added that he had not seen him for over a week.

PC Elphick said: "He said he was renovating the caravan with a view to selling it and he had no intention of living there."

Inspector Tony Harling added that the new paedophile register meant that offenders had to register with the police but they could only tell the public in "exceptional circumstances".

These included alerting the public to a particular danger or in order to prevent a crime.

He added: "It's up in the air at the moment because the legislation is brand new."

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