A RAPIST policeman continues to pose a serious risk to women, a judge ruled yesterday.

Former Middlesbrough PC John Blott, who was convicted of rape in 1998, was applying to alter the conditions of his interim Sexual Offences Prevention Order, granted in November last year, at Teesside Magistrates' Court.

Simon Walker, speaking for Blott, told the court: "I think this is an extremely heinous and oppressive order.

"He is a fitness fanatic and this order bans him from taking part in sporting activities.

"He was playing cricket for Saltburn Cricket Club, where I am the chairman, until he was barred from the premises due to his conviction."

The court heard how Blott, who lives in a bail hostel in Newcastle, had struck up a relationship with a Japanese student without telling her about his previous convictions.

Her friends reported the relationship to the police after they became suspicious about him.

They spotted he was not using his real surname and used the internet to learn the truth about his previous sexual offending.

Julia Hatton, for Cleveland Police, said: "Blott's relationship with the student only came to light when her friends became suspicious and ran his name through the internet. Once they knew his background, they contacted the police."

District Judge Roger Elsey allowed some amendments to be made to the 12 conditions of the order but refused to remove most of the prohibitions.

The former professional footballer is still barred from coaching or teaching sport to under-16s and adult females, being alone with women, or from starting a relationship without telling his supervising officer. The 42-yearold was jailed in May 1998 for raping two teenage girls, aged 16 and 18, as well as for a sexual assault.

The court heard how he used his position to gain his victims' trust, before luring them to his home in New Marske, east Cleveland, and attacking them.

Cleveland Police applied for a sexual offences prevention order, which imposes restrictions on a sex offender.

A full contested hearing will take place on a date to be fixed, but the judge ordered the interim order to continue until July 31.