Underwear thieves earn place on sex danger list

Thieves who steal underwear from washing lines will be placed on the Sex Offender Register, the Government has said.

In a move likely to lead to a huge increase in the number of registered offenders, stalking and child kidnap will also earn a place on the danger list.

At present, crimes such as rape, sexual assaults and child pornography offences warrant a criminal's inclusion on the register.

But kidnap, even where there is an apparently sexual motive, leaves the courts powerless to act.

Earlier this year, Terry Delaney, 52, was sentenced to four years in jail for trying to kidnap teenager Natalie Hick from a bus stop in York.

The law did not allow him to be put on the register after his release, despite a judge describing him as a "serious risk to children".

The new rules give police and the courts the option of adding offenders to the list for crimes that indicate they may pose a sexual threat.

Ministers believe the fetish that drives underwear thieves may lead to more serious offending in the future, so placing them on the register will help to protect the public.

Those on the list, who currently number almost 30,000, must keep in contact with the police and tell the authorities when they move house.