‘The Parole Board approved stringent licence conditions, which include the monitoring of his call records. Morgan will oversee that on behalf of the Home Office, though I can’t see how we can be sure that he isn’t just using the Internet at the library or buying himself a burner phone. Our job is principally to oversee his rehabilitation and reintegration into society. However, Morgan has asked if you would make sure that he shows you the phone every time you meet him. Attendance of the weekly sexual offender treatment programme is also mandatory, and proof will be emailed to you separately by the organisers. Of course, because this is being run by a private sector rehabilitation company that does not yet have full Home Office security clearance, he will be registered to those classes under his new identity. I have to emphasise to you that you must be very careful not to disclose to them his real name.’

‘But if he is undergoing SOTP under a fictitious criminal record, it won’t do him any good, will it? The false record would surely have a much milder version of what he actually did.’

Verity Winter barked a short laugh. ‘It’s true. But with this particular offender, it would never do any good. Sometimes you just have to tick a box.’

Leticia looked shocked. Verity had a reputation of being even more principled than Jill Allsop.

‘Leticia, you have to understand we can never achieve everything that we want to. The public want them all castrated or hanged, or both, while the government looks at the cost of keeping them all locked up and would rather they were dealt with quietly in the community. We can’t win.’

‘That’s true I suppose.’

‘There’s something else I need you to see,’ Verity said. She clicked on her computer screen, and brought up BBC iPlayer. ‘Have you seen Monday’s Panorama?’ she asked.

‘I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet.’

‘There’s just one bit I want to show you.’ Verity pressed fast-forward until she reached the scene with the vigilante and the threat of violence. They both watched it in silence.

‘These are the people we are dealing with,’ Verity said, then switched her screen to a website marked AVENGE. ‘The Association of Vigilant Enforcers Getting Even. That’s what it stands for.’

‘They’re nothing more than criminals themselves,’ Leticia said.

Verity nodded. ‘They have posted some videos here, of them confronting and beating up elderly paedophiles. It’s pretty grotesque stuff actually. I’m only showing you this because if you see any evidence of threats to Wright, I want you to tell me. I’ll be passing on any information to DI Morgan.’

‘But they can’t find anything out,’ Leticia said. ‘It’s not on the case management system. Only on handwritten records, which go into the safe every night. Only you, me and Graham know his real identity.’