Rise in registered sex offenders

There was also a sharp increase of 9% - to more than 16,000 - in the number of violent offenders and sex offenders not required to sign the register.

The figures for all criminals being supervised by police and the probation service under Multi-Agency Private Protection Arrangements (Mappa) in England and Wales rose by more than 3% to 50,210.

The Mappa figures showed a higher proportion of the most serious offenders had to be returned to prison because they breached the terms of their release. Of those classed in categories two and three, nearly 13% - some 1,659 - had to go back to jail.

Category two offenders are those classed as having a "high" or "very high" risk of causing serious harm. This year there were more than 11,000 - making up 24% of the total. There were more than 1,000 criminals classed in level three and subject to the most intense supervision because they are regarded as the "critical few" most likely to commit serious new offences.

But the overall numbers classed in both these categories fell. Numbers classed in level three were down nearly 15%.

Criminals in the top two categories, who are monitored the most intensively, were charged with 79 serious offences - classed as murder, manslaughter, rape or other serious violent or sexual attack last year.

Mappa teams are made up of police, probation, social services and other agencies and were created to monitor dangerous offenders in the community once they are released from jail.

Justice Minister David Hanson said: "The Mappa system we put in place just seven years ago, with police, probation and other agencies working closely together, has been successful in reducing the risk to the public. Since their introduction, other countries around the world view Mappa as a beacon of best practice in public protection.

"The offenders dealt with under Mappa are those whose behaviour can be aggressive, irrational and confrontational. This means that the risk of further offences is ever present - that risk can never been eliminated entirely - but the majority of those subject to active Mappa management do not seriously re-offend, due to robust and effective management."