Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced new measures to strengthen the travel restrictions on convicted child sex offenders.

Key measures announced include:

• requiring registered sex offenders to notify the police earlier of their intentions to travel abroad
• automatic removal of an individual’s passport when they are subject to a blanket foreign travel order
• extending the duration of a foreign travel order (currently six months)

The Home Secretary is considering further restrictions on passport access for convicted child sex offenders, and there is also a possibility that the upper age limit for children considered at risk could be raised. Currently the law protects those 16 and under, but that could be increased to 18 in some circumstances.

Further details are available on the Home Office website.