No place to hide for killer paedophile

A GROUP of vigilantes has vowed to keep surveillance on one of Britain's most notorious convicted paedophiles when he is released from jail next month, writes Roger Dobson.

Sidney Cooke was the leader of a gang responsible for the killing of 14-year-old Jason Swift in London in 1985. He was sentenced to 19 years in jail.

Campaigners have failed to keep Cooke there - despite Cooke reportedly saying he will re-offend - and they are determined to monitor his every movement once he is released from Wandsworth Prison.

"We will be tracking him. There is nowhere he can hide from us," said Kate Lowes, a founder of SPEAK (Stop Paedophiles Exploiting and Abusing Kids), a group of campaigners dedicated to tracking convicted child sex offenders.

"We are surprised that Cooke is being let out at all, given the appalling crimes he committed," said Ms Lowes. "We know he has contacts outside who are arranging for him to live somewhere, but we will be tracking him to make sure he doesn't put one step in front of another without someone knowing."

Cooke's release highlights the problem of what to do with convicted paedophiles when they complete their sentence. Many parents believe paedophiles should be given indefinite terms, with more emphasis on the safety of children than on an offender's right to parole.

Another member of the gang, Robert Oliver, has been hounded out of addresses in Swindon, Brighton, London, Dublin, Liverpool and Manchester. He is now watched 24-hours-a-day by two police officers.