A SPECIAL police order to stop an HIV positive man carrying out threats to infect others has been discharged by magistrates in North Yorkshire after they were told he is undergoing treatment by mental health professionals.

The interim Sexual Risk Order was obtained by the force against the 52-year-old man who had tested positive for HIV and Hepatitis C after health workers were told he attended gay saunas and intended to infect other individuals.

It was understood to be one of the first forces in the country to obtain an order under new powers designed to protect people from serious harm.

It allowed officers to fit a GPS tag so his location could be monitored.

Now Northallerton magistrates, who issued the original interim order in July have been told it was not felt that this would protect people, it would only tell police where the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was.

Jennifer Pilkington for North Yorkshire police applied to the magistrates to discharge the order.

She said: "He is being supported. Because all the agencies have been involved and are working with him, if there are any further concerns they will come back for a further order, they feel they can prevent him from presenting a risk to the public.”