More than 60 children have been protected from abuse during the pilot scheme of Sarah's Law.

The scheme follows the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne

In one case, a parent made an application after a neighbour started offering their children sweets.

Checks showed the neighbour was a child sex offender subject to a court order prohibiting them from being in contact with anyone under 18.

The neighbour was arrested and remanded in custody.

Case studies have been released from the pilot project in Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Hampshire and Warwickshire which began in September 2008.

The Home Office scheme allows parents to check whether people with access to their children are child sex offenders.

Mother Sara Payne campaigned for the law after the murder of her daughter Sarah by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting 10 years ago.

In another case, carers providing social care to an offender who posed a medium risk to children and women witnessed him talking to kids in the street, while another child visited the offender's flat.

A neighbour also made an application under the scheme.

Disclosures led to better protection and risk management measures being put in place.

"Due to this disclosure and proactive response by police and social workers, the offender remains in their home, continues to receive social care, and the neighbour has been reassured," the research report found.

In a third case, a grandparent had concerns about their daughter's new partner who they believed to be acting strangely around their grandchild.

Checks showed the partner was not a child sex offender but had an extensive history of violence and use of weapons.

And in a fourth case study, a man used the scheme after becoming concerned about rumours that an extended family member was a child sex offender.

Checks not only proved he was correct, but also found the sex offender failed to register under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

"Without the pilot, police and the social services department would never have known this individual was in the area," the report said.

How many checks came back with nothing? What percentage actually led to a positive result?

Hmmm, what a tricky decision to make.

I can't help thinking that these offenders should be more closely monitored by the authorities, so that neighbours/relatives don't have to do checks themselves?

Having said that - it's an impossible task, and perhaps the current system is the only workable one.

Can you get information about a relative? The majority of child sex abuse is done by a family member, not a complete stranger.

Anyway, to the VigilanteMobile!

In a third case, a grandparent had concerns about their daughter's new partner who they believed to be acting strangely around their grandchild.
Checks showed the partner was not a child sex offender but had an extensive history of violence and use of weapons.

So not a sex offender then and wrongly suspected by the family. OK the violence and weapons 'history' might set alarm bells ringing but isnt this misuse?

Can you get information about a relative? The majority of child sex abuse is done by a family member, not a complete stranger.

Anyway, to the VigilanteMobile!