HUNDREDS of convicted sex offenders in Notts are to undergo lie detector tests before their release on licence from prison.

The mandatory tests will begin in April as part of a three-year pilot study backed by the Ministry of Justice in the Midlands.

Any sex offender aged over 18 who has received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months could be eligible for the scheme.

The lie detector tests, also known as polygraphs, will be carried out at six-monthly intervals – though if there are particular concerns about an individual, they may be tested more frequently.

There are 791 registered sex offenders in Notts, according to Notts Mappa (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements). If successful, the scheme could lead to tests becoming mandatory across Britain.

Detective Inspector Yvonne Dales, Mappa co-ordinator for Notts Police, has welcomed the project. "Any measures to try to protect the public from sex offenders whilst trying to reduce re-offending are important.

"I know that Notts Probation Service carried out voluntary polygraph testing between 2003 and 2005, but the fact that this is going to be mandatory means the results are going to be more worthwhile.

"This is not going to be for everybody. We're trying to concentrate on offenders deemed to pose a greater risk to the public.

"I hope that those who know they are going to undertake a polygraph test will be less likely to re-offend before it. It could be a real preventative tool."

DI Dales said that the failure of a lie detector test or refusal to undergo one would not automatically lead to a prison recall, but it would be a key factor alongside other evidence of an individual's failure to comply with their prison release licence.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: "Protecting the public from sex offenders and reducing re-offending is of paramount importance. That is why we want to use all the tools available to monitor and treat sex offenders."

guy.woodford@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk