A CONVICTED paedophile is still on the payroll of a North-East authority despite spending the past two months in prison.

The mother of one of Eric Stoddart's victims has criticised Durham County Council for continuing to pay him despite being found guilty of rape and sexually abusing a child in November.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but lives in Barnard Castle, said 49-year-old Stoddart should have been sacked by the county council in November, as soon as he was found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with her daughter.

A spokesman for Durham County Council said yesterday that Stoddart's contract would not be terminated until the end of this month.

But the woman said she was "furious" that a convicted paedophile has been allowed to claim full pay, believed to be about £400 a week, at the expense of the tax-payer, for the past two months.

She added: "You wouldn't get this happening at GlaxoSmith Kline or any other business. If they knew you had this on your record, they would sack you straight away.

"I'm sure people would like to know that their council tax is going towards the salary of a convicted paedophile."

The woman said she was angry that the man was getting paid for sitting in his cell while she was not even allowed to claim money for having three weeks off work during the trial.

But what angered her most was seeing Stoddart going about his daily business as a road worker during the investigation.

She said: "I even saw him working on the roads outside school after he had been charged.

"My daughter was sexually abused by this man. It's all wrong and I'm totally furious."

A spokesman for Durham County Council confirmed Stoddart would be paid until January 31. He said: "His continued employment with the authority up to that time was based upon legal advice given about how and when it would be appropriate to terminate his contract."

He would not give the reasons why the authority continued to pay Stoddart after he was jailed.

Stoddart, who also lived in Barnard Castle, was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with the teenager.

At the eight-day trial, he was also found guilty of rape, indecency with a child and indecent assault, all concerning a second girl, between the beginning of 1986 and the end of 1987. He is awaiting sentence.

A specialist in employment law, who did not wish to be named, said he believed it would have been possible for the county council to dismiss Stoddart immediately.

He said: "An employee can be dismissed for conduct outside work, especially if it impacts on their work or brings their employer into disrepute.

"There is procedure to follow but, in theory, someone in these circumstances can be dismissed summarily.

"The employer must have a reasonable belief that the employee has committed the offence and a criminal conviction would cover that.

"It would also appear that the employee in this case has frustrated their contract because being in prison means they cannot fulfill that contract.

"However, there may be circumstances which we are not aware of."