HOME Secretary Charles Clarke has promised to examine demands for a new law to tackle child abductors, following the case of a York predator who tried to kidnap a girl.

Shy Keenan, of Phoenix Survivor, a support group for victims of child sexual abuse, said the minister had told her he would consider all representations put forward for new legislation.

She said the group would seek to draft proposals for a Stranger Abduction Bill, which would give judges powers to impose restrictions on people who tried to abduct children - even where it could not be proved they intended to abuse them sexually. Such restrictions, which were already available for people convicted of sex offences, could, for example, prevent them going near children without supervision.

She said that provided Phoenix could show the proposals had sufficient support, she was optimistic the Government would go ahead with drawing up such a Bill, and that it would eventually become law.

Shy said that where intent could be proven - for example if the abductor had previous sex offence convictions - existing laws could be amended to allow judges to impose restrictions.

She said Phoenix had been campaigning for a change in the law for some time, but believed that this week's case could be the one that finally brought it about.

Another Phoenix campaigner, Sara Payne - whose daughter Sarah was abducted and murdered by paedophile Roy Whiting - has said the case brought back memories, but thanked The Press for raising it with Phoenix.

York MP Hugh Bayley, who agreed earlier this week that there appeared to be a serious loophole in the law, said today he was currently taking legal advice before writing to the Home Secretary to ask for a change in the legislation.

The Home Office has said it will look into representations to see whether the law can be changed.

Judge's hands tied by legal anomaly NESTLE worker Terry Delaney was jailed for four years by a judge at York Crown Court on Tuesday for trying to abduct a 13-year-old girl at an Acomb bus stop.

However, the law prevented him being registered as a sex offender, because child snatching is not classed as a sexual offence.

Delaney, 52, of Bouthwaite Drive, Acomb, struck up a conversation with the girl before grabbing her wrist and trying to pull her away.

Fortunately, she managed to shake herself free and run away. It emerged in court that Delaney could not be prevented from meeting children when he is released.

Judge Paul Hoffman said he believed Delaney represented a serious risk to children in the future, but he could make no order restraining or prohibiting his conduct.

"It makes no sense to me.

It is obviously an anomaly, " he said. The girl's mother warned that parents would have to be vigilant when Delaney was released from prison. "The law needs to be tightened up in cases like this, " she said.