RESIDENTS of a town that housed a leading campaigner for paedophiles have been told he has moved away.

The news came after it emerged that Thomas O'Carroll, 60, was banned from joining a local chess club after members found out about his views.

Mr O'Carroll was arrested this week in a raid at his house in Market Place, Shildon, County Durham, after an investigation into a paedophile ring.

Mr O'Carroll was the founder member of a group known as the Paedophile Information Exchange and campaigned to legalise child sex.

Shildon residents spoke of their disgust when they learned he was living in the town.

On Wednesday morning, Mr O'Carroll was seen moving belongings into his car, and residents have now been told by police he has moved out of the town.

A relative of one of Mr O'Carroll's neighbours, said: "My niece was told yesterday by police that he had gone and he would not be returning.

"It has been very traumatic for everybody when they found out who he was."

In the summer last year, Mr O'Carroll tried to join Bishop Auckland Chess Club.

However, he was seen at a competition by someone from a different club, who alerted officials.

Club secretary Glenn Parkin said: "He never officially joined. He came along to a few meetings in the summer when we have a closed period, but was spotted when we went to a competition.

"We allowed him into the club for a few games and when we went to a competition, somebody from that competition recognised him, so we checked him out.

"We do not have children at the club, but we could do.

"It is always possible with chess that there might be kids, and it is an unacceptable risk. It was quite a shock. We spoke to the police, we didn't tell anybody else, as you do not know what people might do."

A spokesman for Durham Police said the force did not comment on individuals.

However, he said: "We do have a public protection unit staffed by police and probation officers, which was the first of its kind in the country and has been replicated elsewhere.

"Officers from that unit pay visits to homes and keep regular checks on offenders."

Mr O'Carroll was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to distribute indecent images of children, distributing indecent images of children and taking indecent images.

He is due to answer police bail on March 7.