Area is 'dump for sex offenders'

There is concern the high number of offenders is a drain on police resources

South Belfast has become a "dumping ground" for sex offenders, according to a member of the local District Policing Partnership.

Vincent Parker has obtained figures which show there are 120 sex offenders living in the area, the highest concentration in Northern Ireland.

It is followed by Londonderry where there are 50.

But a spokesman for public protection arrangements said Northern Ireland has one of the "best systems in the world".

At a DPP meeting later on Tuesday, Mr Parker will call on police to explain their process of managing of sex offenders.

Hostels

The Sinn Fein representative said he was making the call in light of concerns raised following recent high profile cases in the area.

He said locals were also worried about the number of hostels in the area used to house those accused of sexual offences.

"The reality is, there is a need for rehabilitation and resettlement of offenders across the north, but I think, in particular, south Belfast has become a bit of a dumping ground".

"We when talk about south Belfast, I think we are mainly focusing on the university/Botanic area where anecdotally residents are saying that there are number of bail hostels".

Mr Parker said there was public concern because there are two primary schools and two play parks in the vicinity.

He also suggested that the number of bail checks required could be a drain on local police resources.

The Sinn Fein representative explained that he was "certainly not calling for identification of sex offenders in particular areas" but said he wanted the Public Protection Unit of the PSNI, which is responsible for the management of sex offenders, to make the process clear and transparent to the public.

Balance

Nick Carson from Public Protection Arrangements Northern Ireland (PPANI) is the spokesman representing the agencies which manage sex offenders.

He said a balance had to be struck between the public's right to know, the law and the good risk management.

"We have one of the best, if not the best systems in the world today, for assessing and managing the risks that sex offenders and increasingly violent offenders present whilst they are in the community."

Mr Carson also pointed out that the Greater Belfast area has the biggest population in Northern Ireland.