POLICE and social workers are powerless to warn parents of a "ruthless" paedophile living in their midst after a High Court ruling reignited the debate over identifying potentially dangerous child abusers.

Despite being branded "cold, chilling, ruthless and devious" by a High Court judge, the man has been granted anonymity because the law says he must be protected from harassment.

But last night it emerged that the pervert's identity had already leaked out - calling into question the law's ability to protect paedophiles by keeping their whereabouts a secret.

His home, which overlooks a park, has already been the target of vandal attacks when furious residents took the law into their own hands.

The Northern Echo cannot name the abuser - who has preyed on children as young as two for 30 years - nor even reveal in which part of the country he lives.

Mr Justice Bodey ruled the man's right to protection against harassment and gossip must take priority over the police's wish to warn of the risk he poses to children.

The order was made in the High Court's Family Division in London last week.

A protest petition has been launched demanding action against the man, who works as a labourer.

And innocent residents have been dragged into the row after their windows were smashed in attacks on the wrong property. Last night the man appeared not to be at home.

One resident, a mother of two, said: "We just want him out. There are too many kids living in the area.

"People have had enough. There are a lot of concerned parents round here."

A worker in a local shop, which will be displaying the petition, said: "By law, we should have a right to know that someone like this is living near us."

Police and social workers had sought permission to inform the man's housing association - and other potential landlords - of the dangers.

But Mr Justice Bodey only granted consent for the man's current landlord to be warned, saying he had to strike a balance between the need to protect children and the need to protect paedophiles.

He refused to grant police carte blanche to warn anyone else - though he said further disclosure of the paedophile's past could be granted at a future date.

For the time being, he said there was "no pressing need" to issue a wider warning.

Mr Justice Bodey said the man was a recognised paedophile who posed very great dangers because he had "an inability to discern right and wrong."

He had shown a total lack of remorse, and was "dangerous, manipulative and a considerable risk to any child"

His appalling record emerged during an earlier High Court hearing before another judge which ended with the paedophile's two-year-old son being taken into care.

In one of the most alarming cases, he tricked the seven-year-old daughter of a neighbour into committing a serious sexual act.

A spokeswoman for the NSPCC said the charity condemned any vigilante action, but added: "Local communities are children's front line of defence and they have a right to know if paedophiles living in the area pose a serious risk to their children."

Last night, the local police force said: "We know who the individual is, and where he is, and the situation is being monitored and managed. The last thing we want is for him to be driven underground where that monitoring cannot take place.

"He has been subject to multi-agency meetings and court processes and we believe the situation is under control.

"We strongly advise against any vigilante activity as those responsible could find themselves in serious trouble."