Probation officers 'not trained properly' to manage sex offenders

High-risk sex offenders including rapists and paedophiles are posing serious dangers to public safety, claim probation officers who say they have not been trained to manage them properly.

In the North East's Durham Tees Valley area, all such cases were being handled by a specialist public protection team.

But under new restructuring plans some are now being dealt with by regular probation officers instead.

The Probation Service downplayed the fears and said all sex offenders "will be managed by fully qualified probation officers".