MORE than 500 sex offenders roaming the streets in the Bristol area are being monitored by a specialist agency, a government report has revealed.

Police and probation workers were keeping tabs on 269 offenders in Bristol and 103 in North Somerset during the last financial year.

Records show that a further 81 in South Gloucestershire were subject to monitoring along with 68 in Bath and North East Somerset.

The figures are revealed in the annual report of the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements, known as MAPPA, which is made up of police, prison and probation services. It was set up seven years ago to ensure sex offenders did not slip through the cracks in the system.

David Hanson, Minister for Justice, said: "The first duty of the criminal justice system is to protect the public.

"Putting in place thorough systems to ensure high level vigilance of serious sexual and violent offenders on their release from prison is vital in our work protecting communities from crime.

"The offenders dealt with under MAPPA are those whose behaviour can be aggressive, irrational and confrontational.

"This means that the risk of further offences is ever present – that risk can never been eliminated entirely – but the majority of those subject to active MAPPA management do not seriously reoffend due to robust and effective management.

"We have made significant changes to legislation in recent years to enhance public protection, including the new sentence of imprisonment for public protection which ensures offenders are not released until the Parole Board determines that it is safe to do so.

"This means that more dangerous offenders are now in prison where they belong."

Across the Avon and Somerset force, 816 offenders come under MAPPA supervision and six were sent to prison for breaching the terms of their order.

Nationally, figures for all criminals being supervised in England and Wales rose by more than three per cent to 50,210.

Paul West, ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) lead for the management of sexual and violent offenders said: "The Police Service throughout England and Wales aims to ensure strict compliance with sexual offender notification requirements and these reports demonstrate that we are continuing to deal positively with breaches of the requirements.