Freed paedophile returned to stalk victim

Appeal Court judges agreed to Fairless's early release

Police say a convicted paedophile returned to follow a young Tyneside girl, just weeks after being released from jail for abusing her.

Alan Fairless had his sentence cut by the Court of Appeal - but immediately began haunting the girl and her family.

Fairless, from Newcastle, is now back behind bars for stalking the girl, after his original sentence was re-activated for breach of his release conditions.

The girl's family, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has criticised the Appeal Court judges who allowed Fairless to be released.

Alan Fairless: Due to be released in January 2004

Fairless, 29, is due to be released again in January 2004, when his sentence ends.

He had been let out of prison on licence one year into a two-year sentence for indecently assaulting the girl.

But soon after his release in late 2002, he returned to Tyneside to stalk his young victim, breaching the conditions under which he was granted his freedom.

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: "He was out on licence and he breached his licence by going near the family. Therefore he was re-arrested."

The girl's mother said: "The last few weeks have been unbearable. None of us have left the house alone since we heard he was hanging around again.

"Things are so bad that the police have been taking me to the shops and they have installed a panic button in the house in case he showed up.

"I hope the judges who cut his sentence realise they made a big mistake and may be this will stop them being so lenient in the future."

One of the conditions of the licence under which Fairless was released was that he did not approach the girl.