HALF a dozen sex offenders have escaped the clutches of the region’s police including one man who went on the run after he was charged with possessing extreme pornography.

Police forces were asked by the Press Association to reveal how many missing sex offenders they were responsible for locating.

The Northern Echo understands the sole sex offender confirmed as missing by Durham police is Ian Dolan, a 48-year-old man, previously of Sampson Place, Newton Aycliffe.

Police issued an appeal over his whereabouts in November last year after he skipped bail before an appearance at Durham Crown Court.

It is thought Dolan, whose alleged offences include possessing more than 5,000 indecent images of children and 70 extreme porn images involving animals, could be in Thailand.

Cleveland police said it had one registered sex offender convicted of offences against children who had been missing since 2011.

The force refused to name the individual with a spokeswoman citing the fear of vigilante-style attacks, but in any case it is understood he also has left the UK.

Superintendent Alastair Simpson, from Cleveland Police, said: “These cases are never closed, even when we believe that someone has travelled overseas in order to avoid detection by UK law enforcement.

“We continue to keep the case under review and liaise with national and internal law enforcement agencies where appropriate.

“Due to the enquiries conducted in this case, it is our belief that the missing sex offender from Cleveland has left the UK and not returned.”

North Yorkshire Police said the whereabouts of two sex offenders was unknown – one had been missing since 2008 and another since late last year.

Detective Superintendent Nigel Costello, head of the protecting vulnerable persons unit at North Yorkshire Police, said: “The two convicted sex offenders highlighted have both left the country.

“One is currently in China as he is a Chinese national and the other we believe is in Cambodia. All measures and flags are in place to alert the relevant authorities.”

Northumbria Police also revealed it had two missing sex offenders, one whose disappearance dated back to May 2002 and a second person missing from November 2008.

Like the other forces it did not name the individuals concerned.

A spokesman for the force said: “We have made substantial enquiries and both are known to be living abroad.”

Northumbria police’s assistant chief constable Winton Keenen added: “All missing sex offenders are risk-assessed regarding the danger they may pose to members of the public.

“We will always continue to actively seek any registered sex offenders who are missing.”