Change It! campaign achieves historic victory

The Government was laying an order before Parliament aimed at giving judges the powers to place child abductors on the sex offenders' register.

This means that for the first time, the authorities will be able to monitor their movements and activities on leaving prison.

The affirmative order, which will also help tackle the menace of stalkers, will be debated by committees in both Houses of Parliament but is not expected to encounter opposition, and should become law some time next year.

The breakthrough comes eight months after The Press launched a major campaign in the wake of a case at York Crown Court which had exposed a serious loophole in the 2003 Sexual Offences Act.

Terry Delaney, a man who tried to abduct Strensall teenager Natalie Hick from a York bus stop, was jailed for four years.

However, Judge Paul Hoffman was unable to place him on the Sex Offenders' Register, which would have allowed the authorities to keep monitoring him on his release from jail.

The judge said then: "It makes no sense to me. It is obviously an anomaly.

"For all the legislation, all the attempts of the Government to cover situations like this, where a judge previously regarded a defendant as a danger for the future, to be enforced by conventional sentencing, is quite an extraordinary situation."

The Press then launched its Change It! Campaign to press for the loophole to be closed - helped by Natalie, who bravely waived her right to anonymity to support the campaign.

Thousands of readers signed our petition, and all three leaders of Britain's main political parties, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Tory leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell, expressed sympathy for the campaign's aims. Today, June Hick and her daughter hailed the news that the law was to change.

Mrs Hicks said: "This is absolutely wonderful news. It makes all the effort worth while. Natalie will be thrilled.

"It's one of the best possible Christmas presents for her, although she has done this for other children.

"This is one of the few positive things to come out of what happened to her. It has changed things."

Natalie said: "I'm really pleased. It's the best possible Christmas present."

Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said in a letter to York MP Hugh Bayley that the order proposed to add child abduction to schedule 5 of the Sexual Offences Act, "which is in line with your previous requests and the local campaign run by The Press in York."

A Home Office spokesman said that under the changes, judges and magistrates would have discretionary powers to place offenders on the register.

She said the change would apply to both child abduction and attempted child abduction, and also certain cases of harassment, which might provide extra protection for people subjected to stalking.

Certain cases of theft would also be covered, for example people who stole women's underwear from washing lines.

She said that further details of the changes and how they would apply would be revealed later today.

This is a great Christmas present and every child will benefit by being given more protection from sex abusers'

THE Press's role in spearheading moves for a change in the the law was praised today by York MP Hugh Bayley, who has been a strong supporter in Parliament of our Change It! campaign.

He said: "It is clear from the Minister's letter that that the Press campaign played an important part in persuading the Government to change the law.

"The paper did a huge public service in highlighting Judge Hoffman's comments about an anomaly in the law. It focused the Government's mind on the problem and won the support of top politicians of all parties.

"The Government was committed to changing the law from the start, but the campaign made it happen sooner, and I would like to say thank you to The Press.

"To the public, eight months may seem a long time, but for Parliament it's probably a record to change a law so quickly.

"Normally it takes years of green papers, white papers, legislative drafting and debate. This shows how for a simple, but vitally necessary change in the law, Parliament can act quickly to protect children."

Mr Bayley said that he had spoken regularly to the Minister in the Commons division lobby and tea room, to check how the matter was progressing, and it became clear that the Government was increasingly sympathetic to the change.

The Prime Minister said during a visit to York in September that there would be an announcement in the autumn but, by the end of November, it became clear this was not going to happen.

Mr Bayley then tabled an Early Day Motion in support of the campaign, in the hope that it would pressurize the Government to make the law change a top priority and lay the order before Christmas.

The motion has now signed by 43 MPs, including Selby's Labour MP John Grogan, Ryedale's Tory MP John Greenway and Harrogate & Knaresborough's Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis, and former Home Office Minister George Howarth.

Mr Bayley said it had won strong support from MPs of every party in Parliament.

"I am delighted that the campaign has succeeded," he said.

"This is a great Christmas present and every child will benefit by being given more protection from sex abusers."

Kevin Booth, Editor of The Press, said today: "I am immensely proud that the newspaper has brought about a change in the law - and in a matter of just eight months.

"I agree entirely with Sara Payne that this legislation will help protect children for decades to come. There could be no better outcome."

The time it took to plug a loophole

April 26, 2006 - Terry Delaney is jailed for four years after trying to kidnap a girl at a bus stop. However, Delaney cannot be registered as a sex offender because the offence is not covered by the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Judge Paul Hoffman says the law "makes no sense".

April 27 - We launch our Change It! campaign, calling on the Government to close that legal loophole.We win the backing of Sara Payne - one of the nation's most recognisable campaigners against paedophiles.

April 29 - Home Secretary Charles Clarke agrees to look into our demands.

May 4 - York MP Hugh Bayley backs our campaign, and writes to Mr Clarke.

May 5 - Courageous Natalie Hick, Delaney's would-be victim, waives her right to anonymity to back our campaign. We launch a petition calling Mr Clarke to create a new law of stranger abduction listed under the Sexual Offences Act.

May 24 - Home Office minister Vernon Coaker writes to Mr Bayley saying he is "looking at issue in detail".

June 4 - 400 people sign our Change It! petition on the streets of York.

July 18 - Another letter to Mr Bayley confirms our plea will receive "sympathetic consideration" in a forthcoming review of legislation.

August 22 - Delaney's appeal against his sentence dismissed.

September 5 - In an exclusive interview, PM Tony Blair promises an announcement on our Change It! campaign later this year.

October 27 - The Home Office minister in charge of the review into sexual offences given all the information from our campaign.

November 11 - Tory leader David Cameron also backs our campaign.

November 13 - Natalie Hick and her mum June join The Press in London to hand over our petition.

November 29 - MPs begin signing a Commons motion by Mr Bayley to press for the change in the law.

December 7 - Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell backs the campaign when he visits York.

December 11 - The total number of MPs who have backed The Press's campaign is up to 33.

Today - Government lays an order before Parliament aimed at giving judges the powers to place child abductors on the sex offenders' register.