THE MAN in charge of protecting our children from paedophiles has stuck his head well and truly above the parapet by stating he doesn't think every offender should be jailed.
Child protection chief Jim Gamble argues that some paedophiles should be given a police caution and managed within the community instead.
The criminal justice system just can't cope with the number of people being convicted of paedophilia, he argues.
Parents can be forgiven if his statement chills them to the core.
Too many blunders have been made when it comes to public safety in recent months.
The Home Office's image is currently one of Keystone Cops rather than stalwart guardian of our nation thanks to a series of alarming errors.
Only last month it was forced to admit that three terrorist suspects who it was supposed to be monitoring had disappeared.
It has also emerged that almost 30,000 records of British nationals convicted of crimes abroad have been left sitting in boxes rather than being entered on to the Police National Computer.
It doesn't exactly fill you with confidence does it?
Mr Gamble may have a point. But before any decision is made about allowing convicted paedophiles to remain within our communities we need cast iron guarantees that they will be strictly controlled. And that decisions made are informed ones.
Is that something that those in power can truly promise?