A NEW project has been launched to tackle the growing numbers of registered sex offenders in Greater Manchester.

An intelligence-based initiative between Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and deputy mayor of Greater Manchester Beverley Hughes has been implemented until March.

It will use a range of approaches and interventions to monitor individuals who are at risk of committing offences.

From 2011 to 2017 the number of registered sex offenders in Greater Manchester more than doubled, from around 2,000 to 4,400.

Detective chief inspector Deborah Oakes, responsible for sex offender management in the public protection division, said: “We cannot keep just dealing reactively with the increasing number of registered sex offenders.

"We need to be able to get more proactive and ensure there is early access to sex offender programmes for those at risk of offending.

“This is a really difficult and sensitive area of policing and understandably can spark strong emotions from people.

“But it is vital work that is needed to help keep people safe in our communities.

“Some of the behaviour we are seeing young people involved in, such as 'sexting', is leading them towards offending that could mean they end up on the sex offenders' register.

"We have to ensure there is early intervention to stop this happening.”

The project will identify individuals based on those most as risk of reoffending, taking into consideration changes of circumstances which affect risk assessments allocated to them.

GMP officers will also be provided with training to understand sexual offending and ways of working with communities to prevent it from taking place.

Experts and academics such as Survivors Manchester, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Central Lancashire are supporting the project.

The initiative will be reviewed after its conclusion in March.

DCI Oakes added: “We need people to be our eyes and ears and to report any concerns they have about people’s behaviour or safeguarding issues.

“With information we can put preventative measures in early.”

To report a sexual offence contact GMP on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.