SEX CRIME LOOPHOLE PUTS SCOTS CHILDREN IN DANGER.

Byline: Alan Roden Scottish Political Reporter

THOUSANDS of known sex offenders are free to work with children due to a terrifying legal loophole.

Nearly 4,000 people are on the sex offenders register in Scotland - but fewer than 400 are on a separate list barring them from working with youngsters.

Official figures exposing the full extent of the loophole have sparked fears that convicted paedophiles could easily 'slip through the net' and abuse children in their care.

The problem was first spotted by the SNP when it was in opposition, forcing an admission from then-First Minister Jack McConnell that Scotland's child protection laws were not strong enough.

But, two-and-a-half years after taking office, the Nationalists have so far failed to remove the danger.

The new figures come just days after the exposure of Scotland's worst -ever paedophile ring.

Neil Strachan and James Rennie, both from Edinburgh, received life sentences last Thursday for a catalogue of child pornography and abuse offences, which included the sexual assault of a three-month-old baby.

Strachan was already on the sex offenders register for previous offences.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is now under growing pressure to explain how someone being monitored by the authorities could still abuse children .

Ever since the murders of ten-yearolds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002, there have been calls for a lifelong ban on sex offenders working with children in any capacity.

School caretaker Ian Huntley, who killed the girls at his home in Soham, Cambridgeshire, had previously been investigated several times in connection with alleged offences including rape and under-age sex.

But when he was vetted for the school job in Soham, two police forces failed to flag up the earlier inquiries.

In early 2006, the SNP's then Holyrood leader Nicola Sturgeon - now deputy first minister - stunned MSPs when she revealed that someone on the sex offenders register could still apply for a job with youngsters.

At the time, there were 2,800 people on the register, yet only 56 on the 'disqualified from working with children' list, which was set up in 2005 and bars the hiring of anyone on it for any job involving youngsters. People are placed on the list if they are referred by an employer who sacked them for harming a child, or by a judge at the end of a court case - but sex offenders' names are not automatically added.

Miss Sturgeon said this amounted to a 'potentially dangerous loophole in the law'. Although registered sex offenders cannot become teachers, she said: 'There is nothing in law to prevent such a person being employed to work with children in other capacities. This loophole should be closed.' Under pressure from Miss Sturgeon, Mr McConnell admitted he could 'not guarantee' that paedophiles had not slipped through the net.

But, nearly four years later, the Scottish Daily Mail can reveal that Scotland has 3,765 registered sex offenders, yet only 378 people legally barred from working with children .

Scottish Labour's justice spokesman Richard Baker said yesterday: 'Yet again, the SNP has been exposed as saying one thing in opposition, and failing to deliver in government.' A Scottish Executive spokesman said the new Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme, which comes into force next year, will re-examine who should be barred from working with youngsters. - though there is no mention of automatically disqualifying sex offenders. The spokesman added: 'There is no question of a person on the sex offenders' register gaining work in childcare by keeping it secret from employers.

'Such positions require an enhanced disclosure check which would highlight all past convictions and any other information the police consider relevant. 'The disqualified from working with children list is also growing all the time, showing that those who are not suitable are being identified and barred.'

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A SENIOR BBC producer has been charged following a major police investigation into child sex abuse.

The London-based employee was arrested as part of Operation Algebra, which uncovered Scotland's largest paedophile network earlier this year. The man now faces court.

Iain Livingstone, Assistant Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police, was last night reported as saying: 'We referred a case involving a serious offender to the Metropolitan Police, which involved a senior figure at the BBC.' A BBC spokesman said it would not be appropriate to comment.