NORTH Yorkshire Police performed a U-turn last night – naming a rapist who is on the run and apologising for withholding his details in case it breached his human rights.

The decision leaves Northumbria Police as the only force refusing to identify sex attackers on the run.

It is sticking to its claim that to do so would breach the Data Protection Act – despite the Home Office describing the excuse as “nonsense”.

North Yorkshire’s change of heart came after The Northern Echo discovered that four registered sex offenders had disappeared, but only one could be named because of police concerns over data protection.

The North Yorkshire force has now joined Cleveland Police by disclosing details of the wanted men, but Northumbria Police continue to block the release of information about the final two convicts.

It is the only force in the region that refuses to let the public know who the men are, despite appeals from politicians and victims.

Last night, Ray Mallon, Mayor of Middlesbrough and a former detective, described moves to protect the identity of the missing convicts as “a disgrace” – and the mother of a child who was murdered by a sex offender joined calls for the names to be made public.

The Northern Echo can reveal that Yuan Wei Zhang is wanted for three counts of rape dating back to July 2007, after North Yorkshire Police agreed to issue an appeal.

Zhang, who had been living in London, met his victim on the internet and travelled to her home in Scarborough before raping her.

The 26-year-old disappeared before he stood trial for the offences and was convicted in his absence at York Crown Court in July 2008. He has never been brought to justice and police believe he has returned to his native China.

Chief Inspector Kerrin Smith, head of North Yorkshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, said: “Intelligence reports lead us to believe that he left the UK, and therefore the investigation to locate him has concentrated in his home country of China.

“It was for this reason that there was no investigative requirement to release the identity and photograph of the offender in the Yorkshire region and the UK.

“In the interests of reassuring people in North Yorkshire and the wider community, we feel there is no reason to withhold Zhang’s identity.

“I hope this clarifies the force’s position. We apologise for any confusion and concern that has been raised.”

Newcastle woman Liz Neailey’s son, Wesley, 11, was murdered in 1998 by Dominic McKilligan, a convicted sex attacker with several previous offences against boys.

She said: “If these people are dangerous and are known sex offenders, they should be named and their photographs should be put out. Whose child is going to be next?”

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, the MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire, has already pledged that a Tory Government will force police to identify sex offenders who are on the run.

The Labour Party has not answered requests to provide a response to the situation.

Last month, rapist Peter Chapman was jailed for the kidnap, rape and killing of Darlington teenager Ashleigh Hall.

As a registered sex offender, Chapman was expected to notify police of any change of address, but he disappeared for nine months before he was arrested for the murder of the 17-year-old student.

An investigation by The Northern Echo found that two offenders were on the run from Northumbria, one from Cleveland and one from North Yorkshire, but no further details were disclosed.

Cleveland Police agreed to override the initial refusal, and images of Suraj Shyani Wijekoon, 28, who was convicted of sex assault, were published.

Wijekoon has been missing from his home in Middlesbrough since June last year.

Mr Mallon said: “It is an absolute disgrace that certain police forces within the region have not divulged photographs of these offenders.

“It is clearly in the public interest that people are made aware of the identity of these people so that they are protected, but also so they can potentially assist in apprehending criminals of this type.

“This is an outrageous situation and is happening far too often.

“I hope that senior officers in Northumbria will follow the lead of Cleveland Police and do what is in the public interest immediately.”

Detective Superintendent Steve Wade, the head of Northumbria Police’s Public Protection Unit, said: “The two individuals are in breach of their sex offenders’ registration requirements as they have left addresses in the Northumbria area.

“This breach was discovered quickly as a result of proactive and robust supervision.

“Active inquiries are being conducted to try to establish the whereabouts of both.

“The details of both offenders have been circulated to other forces and we are working with partner agencies to establish their whereabouts.

“The release of personal details may compromise ongoing operational activity.

“This decision will be reassessed and re-evaluated on a regular basis.”

Anyone with information about Zhang’s whereabouts is asked to call police on 0845-60- 60-24-7.