Paedophile's home mobbed

An angry crowd gathered outside the home of a paedophile yesterday after his whereabouts was published in a national newspaper.

Up to 40 protesters waving placards and shouting "Paedophile out" descended on the house, in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, where they believe Robert Oliver, 52, is living.

Oliver, who has changed his name to Francis Lee, was jailed for 15 years in 1989 for the manslaughter of 14-year-old Jason Swift during a homosexual orgy.

Bishops Lydeard was identified by the News of the World as the village where Oliver was being housed, provoking a furious reaction from local residents. A woman, who did not wished to be named, said: "Feelings are running pretty high here. There's a school and playgroup near by and no-one was warned about him.

"It's not the right place to have someone like him. I'm just worried about what's going to happen when the husbands start coming home from work."

Avon and Somerset Police said they were aware of the situation. Oliver is being monitored by Mappa, the multi-agency team set up to manage serious violent and sex offenders after their release from prison.

Oliver, who was freed from jail in 1998, was living in a controversial bail hostel in Bristol in April this year, but was moved after the News of the World photographed him walking the streets.

He was moved to a safe house at Avon and Somerset Police's headquarters, then to another hostel in Bridgwater. He has reportedly been living in a bungalow in Bishops Lydeard since August.

The modest house is half-a-mile from a primary school and several young families live near by.

David Hinton, the parish council chairman, refused to comment on whether he thought the newspaper was right to publish details of where Oliver was living, but said: "All I can say is the reaction is totally predictable."

He said he was not told of Oliver's move to the area.