Sarah's law scheme to be extended to Yorkshire

Alan Johnson said that the "Sarah's Law" scheme, which has been piloted in four areas of the country, will be extended to North Yorkshire in August.

The region's other police forces – West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Humberside – will become involved in the project when it is rolled out across England and Wales in March 2011.

As the Home Office scheme is extended, every one of the country's 32,000 registered sex offenders will be contacted to reassure them it will not lead to them being vilified publicly.

Parents will be able to ask police about the criminal records of anyone with access to their children. Officers will reveal details in confidence if they believe it to be in the child's interest.

During the year-long pilot, one in 10 calls to police uncovered a person's criminal past, with the largest number of queries coming from fathers concerned about their ex-partners' new boyfriends.

The disclosure scheme is a watered-down version of laws in the US where details of where convicted paedophiles live are publicised.

Sara Payne, whose daughter Sarah was killed by paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000, led a high-profile campaign calling for a UK equivalent.

Detective Chief Inspector Kerrin Smith, of North Yorkshire Police, said the system would "empower" parents and carers in their ability to protect children.

Ms Payne, who is now the Government's official Victims' Champion, and is recovering from brain surgery, welcomed the announcement.

In a statement, she said: "I am delighted that the years of campaigning and hard work by so many friends and colleagues have provided those who care for children with the right to check that adults who have access to them do not pose a danger.

"The evaluation has shown the huge benefits of increased but controlled access to information."

Neighbours, other family members and friends were the other main subjects of inquiries.

The forces involved in the pilot were not deluged with requests as was feared.

Worries that paedophiles would disappear underground en masse and that the revelations would result in vigilante justice were also not realised, police said.

Altogether, 315 applications were made to the four forces.