Paedophile housed in Sussex hotel

The Premier Travel Inn at Polegate is next to a family-friendly pub

A convicted paedophile was housed in a hotel in East Sussex for three days following his release from prison.

Sussex Probation said the man was placed in the Premier Travel Inn at Polegate, near Eastbourne, because no approved accommodation was available.

Chief Probation Officer Brian Clark said it had assessed the hotel with the police prior to the man's arrival in order to minimise any risk.

A statement said he was moved to approved accommodation on Monday.

'Serious offences'

Sussex Probation said in a statement that the hotel was outside main communities and away from schools, public playgrounds and other places the man was forbidden to visit.

It added that, in line with national guidance, it was inappropriate to disclose information about the man's offences to the hotel's management.

Emma Scott, spokesperson for Premier Travel Inn, told BBC News the local authority did withhold information from the hotel about the man.

"The gentleman was booked in under a private name... we were unaware of his history," she said.

During his stay the man reported daily to probation staff in Eastbourne and was supervised through the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), the statement said.

"Those who have committed the most serious sex and violent offences will be supervised through MAPPA," it said.