Protesters gathered outside Oliver's home in Somerset

He was released in 1997 after serving 10 years of a 15-year sentence and his whereabouts were published by The News of the World on Sunday.

Protesters gathered outside his Somerset home and chanted for his removal from the area.

A police spokesman said as the law stood Oliver was a free man who was "fully co-operating" with protocol.

"The rights of such individuals are not put above the public's. We have a duty of care to all parties," he said.

'Common sense'

The spokesman added: "Unfortunately, such individuals have to be relocated from time to time as a result of further media coverage, which results in even more expenditure of taxpayers' money.

"There is also a very real risk that individuals concerned in sensitive issues like this could be driven underground as a result of further media coverage, and away from the various measures involved within the MAPPA [multi-agency public protection arrangements] process designed to prevent further risk to the public.

"We would appeal to people in the community to exercise their common sense and work with us in our attempts to protect the safety of all parties," he said.

Robert Oliver was a member of an East London paedophile gang which killed 14-year-old Jason Swift in 1985.