Paynes welcome child protection plan

Sara and Michael Payne handed their petition to Jack Straw

The government intends to introduce a range of measures to improve the safety of children following a meeting with the parents of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne.

Sara and Michael Payne had a one-hour meeting with Home Office Minister Paul Boateng to ask for new legislation to allow greater access to the sex offenders register - a so-called Sarah's Law.

Unfortunately we haven't got our daughter, but it might help somebody else's

Sara Payne

"We are looking at the issue of greater openness and more information being available to the public about the issue of sex offenders," a Home Office spokesman told BBC News Online.

But he said the government believed that disclosure of information about individuals should remain up to the probation services and police.

The Paynes said they had been assured that there will be some form of Sarah's Law introduced.

Mrs Payne, speaking after the meeting, said: "We are very happy indeed. It's what we were all working so hard for," Mrs Payne said.

Eight-year-old Sarah was laid to rest last week

"Unfortunately we haven't got our daughter, but it might help somebody else's."

The Paynes refused to give any further details of the assurances given to them by Mr Boateng.

The Home Office spokesman said: "We hope to be able to make an announcement shortly on a package of measures to improve the safety of children.

"However we have always made it clear that the decision for disclosure of individual names must remain with the police and the probation services."

The decision for disclosure of individual names must remain with the police and the probation services

Home Office spokesman

Earlier, the Paynes had handed a 700,000 name petition to Home Secretary Jack Straw calling for the new legislation.

They said Mr Straw had agreed with them for the need for tougher sentencing of paedophiles and more powers for the families of victims.

Sarah Payne was abducted when she was playing near her grandparents' house in Kingston, West Sussex, on 1 July.

Her naked body was discovered in a country lane near Pulborough, West Sussex on 17 July.

Mr Payne said the huge public support for their campaign and the thousands of letters they had received had helped them to cope with Sarah's death.

Megan's Law

The News of the World newspaper launched a campaign to have a Sarah's Law introduced in the UK.

The Paynes and the paper called for a law similar to one in the United States known as Megan's Law which was introduced after the rape and murder of seven-year-old Megan Kanka.

She was killed by Jesse Timmendequas, a known child molester with two previous convictions for sexual offences, who had moved across the street from her family without their knowledge.

The law, which was signed by President Bill Clinton four years ago, has been adopted in some form by all 50 states.

Sarah was buried at St Peter's Church, Hersham, Surrey, on 31 August, in her favourite dress and a fairy necklace that her mother wore throughout the search for her daughter.