HOME Secretary John Reid has ordered an end to the housing of paedophiles in hostels near schools, including one in Ellesmere Port.

Mr Reid has instructed the National Offender Management Service to implement "restricted admission" at the town's Bunbury House hostel, along with 10 others around the country.

He is also considering giving parents access to information on paedophiles in their area.

Home Office minister Gerry Sutcliffe is to be sent to the United States to examine the Megan's Law system, which deals with sex offenders, and to see whether a British version could be introduced.

Under the US system, parents must be informed when offenders move to their area after being freed from prison.

In a statement, Mr Reid said: "I have instructed that no child sex offenders reside in accommodation directly adjacent to schools. 

"I'm sending my minister to America to discover the best way of ensuring the controlled release of information to the public.

"I start from the position that information should no longer remain the exclusive preserve of officialdom."

The decision comes after a newspaper found that 60 child abusers were in Government approved centres near schools.

The Sunday newspaper, which uncovered the hostel details, has led the campaign for a UK version of Megan's Law - what it calls Sarah's Law - since the murder of eight-year-old schoolgirl Sarah Payne in 2000.

Her mother, Sara Payne, said: "After six years of campaigning this is a tremendous breakthrough. I'm delighted."

As part of the US system a number of states list offenders' details on the internet, allowing parents to enter their zip code (post code) or a name, to check if anyone on the register has moved in nearby.

There are about 100 probation hostels in England and Wales where ex-offenders live after their release from prison. 

Mr Sutcliffe said: "The balance that we've got to strike is to make sure that we look after the public but at the same time manage these offenders.

"But we felt that these premises which were adjacent to schools were too high a risk with child sex offenders in there."

Shadow home secretary David Davis urged caution with the handling of paedophiles.

"We must make sure we don't end up with some lynch mob law. And bear in mind we've had the Criminal Records Bureau failures, with innocent people being given apparent criminal records."

alanweston@dailypost.co.uk