MORE than 500 registered sex offenders are living in Wiltshire, a report just published has revealed.

The annual Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) report for Wiltshire shows there are 524 sex offenders living in the county - that's up by more than 70 when compared to two years ago.

MAPPA is a set of arrangements to manage the risk posed by the most serious sexual and violent offenders. These offenders are subject to supervision and monitoring to protect the public.

It brings together the police, probation and prison services. A number of other agencies are also involved, including social services, health trusts and youth offending teams.

Of the 524 convicted sex offenders now in the community, 520 are classed as level one, the least serious of three categories, while the remaining four are level two.

Six registered sex offenders have also been cautioned or convicted for breach of notification requirements.

The report also shows 163 violent offenders, categorised as level one, are being monitored in the county along with nine others who are level two.

None of the offenders jointly managed through MAPPA committed a further serious offence in 2013/14.

Det Insp Paul Hacker of the Public Protection Department at Wiltshire Police said: "The report for Wiltshire and Swindon reveals there was a very low rate of breach of licence again this year with just five offenders returning to custody.

“We have a yearly total of 74 eligible offenders referred into MAPPA in this period by agencies and these will be managed through the extensive monitoring arrangements established under MAPPA.

“The arrangements, managed by the Probation Trust and Wiltshire Police, are based on strict compliance by offenders who will be subject to close supervision and monitoring. This is achieved in a high percentage of cases and rigorously enforced if offenders do not co-operate.”

MAPPA-eligible offenders are identified and information about them is shared by the agencies to inform the risk assessments and risk management plans of those managing or supervising them. In the majority of cases that is as far as MAPPA extends but in some cases, active multi-agency management is required. In such cases there will be regular MAPPA meetings attended by relevant agency practitioners.

MAPPA is supported by ViSOR, a national IT system for the management of people who pose a serious risk of harm to the public.