THE Government is creating an information vacuum over the Jon Venables case which the tabloid press is filling with its increasingly lurid speculation.

When Venables was recalled to prison for breaching his licence, the speculation was that he had committed a fairly innocuous breach like visiting Merseyside.

That speculation grew into him being involved in street brawls, and dependent on drink and drugs. Then it expanded into a serious sexual crime, and yesterday the Sunday Mirror accused him of being into child porn.

The public has a right to know what Venables has done. It needs to be able to judge whether its money has been well spent on his treatment, and it also needs to know so it can take part in the debate about how we deal with the most troubled children in our society.

On the other hand, Venables also has the right to a fair trial.

Therefore, the Government may not be able to release information until the criminal case against Venables has run its course.

However, to prevent the vacuum sucking in more hysterical speculation, the Government should pledge to let the public know the nature of the charges that are laid against Venables, as happens in most other criminal cases. The public would then be able to follow the case through the judicial system.

Should the action against Venables not end in a criminal hearing, the Government should now pledge to make a full statement explaining the situation when the case is closed.

This would at least put a timeframe on events. It would assure the public that they will get to know as soon as the judicial system allows. And it would show that in printing the speculation, the red-top newspapers are only interested in their circulation battles.

At the moment, the newspapers have a public interest defence. They can say with some justification that they are providing the public with information it has a right to know but which the Government wishes to deny it.