Sex offender alerts: Five scenarios

Four pilots have begun in England which permit parents, carers or guardians to ask the police if someone has a record for child sex offences. There are many unanswered questions about what the 12-month trial will achieve - so what kinds of scenarios could the scheme cover?

SCENARIO ONE: THE NEW BOYFRIEND

A single mother meets a man who she likes but is worried that she does not know enough about his background to allow him fully into her family's life. She telephones the local police and requests information about the man.

The police would check the background of the man because the request has come from a mother - someone who is directly responsible for a child. Officers would carry out two checks - a priority check within 24 hours followed by a more thorough risk assessment which takes longer because it will delve into someone's history.

If there is a criminal record, the pilot constabularies say they would use special child protection measures, jointly run by police and probation officers, to work out how best to deal with the suspect.

If there is a serious risk, police may also pass on some of this information to the mother - but only if they are convinced that it is necessary and proportionate to protect the children.

If the mother is given the information, she will be asked to keep it confidential - and could face civil or criminal action if she does not.

If the investigation does not find any record of sexual offences, but does find other worrying behaviour, such as a conviction for domestic violence or intelligence of worrying behaviour, the mother may still be given information to help her protect her family.

SCENARIO TWO: NEW BOYFRIEND WORRIES OTHERS IN FAMILY

A couple are concerned that their daughter's new boyfriend is not trustworthy - and they are worried that about their grandchildren.

Like anyone else, the grandparents can already alert the police.

Police stress that irrespective of the four pilots they would always check out the concerns of other family members or friends as part of standard child protection measures.

However, the grandparents are not directly responsible for the welfare of the children and any relevant information which would be released under the scheme would only go to the person with direct responsibility for the children - the mother.

SCENARIO THREE: THE NEIGHBOUR PLAYING WITH CHILDREN

A family are suspicious of a neighbour's intentions towards local children. Police would, as ever, make checks. But they would only release information of concern to parents if the individual has direct access to their children.

In other words, if the family who alert the police have nothing to do with the neighbour, they would not know the outcome of their inquiry - but other parents whose children are more directly involved with the subject may be given information.

Police may have a delicate balancing act to perform if someone is asking about a neighbour, who officers know is an offender, but there is no reason to suggest he poses a risk because he is co-operating with monitoring arrangements.

SCENARIO FOUR: THE ODD-LOOKING NEIGHBOUR

A family doesn't like the look of the man who lives as Number 24. He's a bit shifty, reclusive and is always rude if spoken to. They ask the police to tell them about the individual's background.

Police are highly unlikely to provide any information because the family has not provided any reasonable suspicion that children are at risk.

The pilot's purpose is to protect children and the family would have to show that the neighbour has some kind of access to their children. One concern over the pilots is that they could be used to settled scores and spread malicious rumours. This block on unwarranted requests for information, and the insistence on confidentiality, is designed to prevent rumours spreading.

SCENARIO FIVE: THE SPORTS COACH

A local man has been offering informal football coaching - he doesn't seem to be part of any club, leisure centre or school set-up. A parent is concerned because a rumour is doing the rounds that he is up to no good.

Parents can ask for information because this is clearly direct access to their child. The question is what happens next. If the coach is found to be a risk, the parent would be told but would also be asked to keep that information to themselves.

The full force of multi-agency monitoring arrangements would come into action to stop the man in his tracks. The success of these monitoring arrangements relies greatly on preventing someone going underground. A local witch-hunt or vigilante action increases the risk of someone disappearing from view.

Some child protection experts predict these kinds of scenarios will be the hardest to manage because a parent who has information on the man's record may feel overwhelmingly obliged to alert others, regardless of police warnings.

If the man poses no risk and has simply been a little naive, police may advise him how to avoid any future misunderstandings, such as by ensuring that he can provide an up-to-date criminal record check.

Compiled by Dominic Casciani, BBC Home Affairs team.