Hundreds of sex offenders are living in Cumbria, new figures show.
Police forces, probation services and other government agencies supervise and keep track of sex offenders and violent criminals in communities across England and Wales through multi-agency public protection arrangements.
Data from the Ministry of Justice shows 621 people convicted of sex crimes were being managed under those arrangements in the Cumbria policing area at the end of March this year, down from 631 the year previous.
The area goes against a national trend which has seen the number of sex offenders under the arrangements, known as MAPPAS, increase.
The rate of sex offenders among residents in the area now stands at 137 in 100,000 people – down from 140 in 2021.
Sex offenders made up 80 per cent of those being managed through the arrangements in Cumbria this year.
There were also 157 violent offenders and one other dangerous offenders under the arrangements in the area.
Nationally, 66,741 sex offenders are on MAPPAs, up four per cent on last year and up 65 per cent from 10 years ago. The rate of sex offenders among the population was 126 per 100,000 at the end of March this year.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “The number of sex offenders being monitored increases every year as many are put on the sex offenders register for life when they are convicted.”
There were 22,304 violent offenders and 393 other dangerous offenders under MAPPAs across England and Wales at the end of March.
The Ministry of Justice recorded a significant jump in sexual harm prevention orders last year, which coincided with a 57 per cent increase in the number of people convicted of sexual offences in 2020-21 following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions on courts.
The orders are applied when the court believes a protection order is needed to protect the public from sexual harm and can include a ban on foreign travel to protect children from sexual harm abroad.
A total of 5,753 orders were handed down nationally in the year to March – up 33 per cent from 4,325 in 2020-21. Of these, 58 were imposed on offenders in Cumbria last year.
A Home Office spokesman added they were pleased to see police using the orders to target people responsible for horrific abuse.
“We have some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders, and those that pose a risk of sexual harm, to ensure the public is protected,” they said.
