A LAW that allows parents to check if people who have contact with their children has convictions for child sex offences will be rolled out in Lincolnshire by the autumn.

The Home Office scheme, dubbed "Sarah's Law", gives parents, family members, friends or neighbours the right to check with police if anyone with regular unsupervised access to their children has a criminal conviction for child sex offences.

It will go live in Lincolnshire from October 1, police have confirmed.

The introduction of the law, officially called the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, comes after a decade of campaigning by Sara Payne. Her eight-year-old daughter, Sarah, was abducted and murdered by convicted sex offender Roy Whiting ten years ago.

Detective Sergeant Mhairi Boulton of Lincolnshire Police said: "I have no doubt that through this scheme police will become alerted to situations in which people who may present a risk to children will be identified as having contact with children, where they previously have not.

"This will enable action to be taken to safeguard that child and any others who are identified as being at risk.

"This scheme it is not about opening up the sex offender register and allowing everyone to be able to have access to the information, it is about having more sets of eyes and ears to help protect and safeguard children.

"Lincolnshire Police will not tolerate any vigilante attacks. Anyone carrying out any such action will be dealt with under the law."

The national roll-out follows a trial scheme in Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Hampshire and Warwickshire which started in September 2008.

People hoping to make an application, will have to visit their local police station in person.

Once there, they will be required to show identification tell the police their relationship to the child and explain why they want to have a particular person checked out. Although anyone can make a request, information will only be given to the child's parent or guardian.

Jackie James-Clarke, 40, whose, 13-year-old daughter, Sandy Hadfield, was stabbed to death in Lincoln's Boultham Park woods in July 2002 by Timothy Cuffy, said she hoped people make use of the law.

"Having this law is definitely better than no law at all," said Mrs James-Clarke, of North Hykeham.

"I don't know that it will prevent sex offenders from moving from one area to another and being able to change their name and go undetected, but it will give families the chance to check up on anyone who has access to their children."

According to figures from the Home Office, more than 60 children were protected from abuse during the pilot scheme, which led to 315 applications and 21 disclosures about registered child sex offenders.