This is how many registered sex offenders are living in Sussex

Police forces, probation services and other government agencies keep tabs on dangerous criminals living in communities in England and Wales using special management plans known as Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show 1,759 registered sex offenders were being managed under MAPPA in the Sussex Police area as of March this year.

That is a rate of 115 offenders for every 100,000 people, below the average for England and Wales of 119.

Sex offenders sentenced to at least 30 months in prison remain on the register indefinitely – although some can apply to be removed after 15 years, following a change to the law in 2012.

Sussex Police removed four people from the register following an application last year, with the number of sex offenders growing by 3 per cent from 2018-19.

Across England and Wales, 62,435 sex offenders are being monitored by police – an increase of 4 per cent on 2018-19.

The MoJ said this rise was because of increases in average custodial sentence length and the requirement for many sexual offenders to register for long periods of time.

The vast majority in Sussex are classed as level one offenders, which means police and other agencies share information about them, but no special measures are required.

But offenders in Sussex were placed in the level two category six times during 2019-20, meaning agencies have to hold regular meetings to discuss them.