Parents in an East Lothian town have vowed to hold street protests every week until a convicted sex offender who moved onto their street is forced to leave.
Families in Haddington’s Nungate area say that the man, who has repeatedly breached a court order banning him from playing with children, has been housed next to a new playpark.
The ‘peaceful protests’ will begin tomorrow calling for the removal of the 61-year-old man, who had a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) placed on him in 2015 after he had been convicted of sex offences against women and children.
The order bans him from any communication with children but he has appeared in court several times for breaching it, reports the East Lothian Courier.
He was jailed in 2016 and again in 2019 for approaching and talking to children and in one for instance tickling two young girls repeatedly.
Residents in Nungate were spurred into action after finding out another sex offender lived on their street, after he was jailed.
Now organiser Helen Nelson has said she will hold protests every Friday night until this man is also removed from the community.
She said she was organising, “a peaceful protest to get him out and come together to protect our kids and town.” She continued: “this will go ahead next Friday and every week if possible till we hopefully get him moved”.
She said residents with kids wanted the man gone from their street, adding: “Why should we allow him to live amongst us waiting for him to pounce?”
A handful of other residents on social media said they shared her concerns, especially as his house was near a new playpark.
Helen added: “Think of your children, whom could freely go out and play and now trying to keep them away from this beautiful new park”.
Police said they were aware of the planned protest and it would be “policed as appropriate”.
East Lothian Council said public safety was “of paramount importance” when managing offenders, adding they had “robust procedures” in place to manage sex offenders.
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