More than 75pc of sex offenders placed on the official register have been removed after asking police, figures reveal.

A Freedom of Information Act request, submitted by this newspaper, has revealed the number of guilty sex offenders removed from the official register over the last three years.

A total of 37 people have requested to be removed from the register, of which 28 were approved by Norfolk Constabulary.This compares to the national average of nearly 75pc.

In Norfolk, 14 applications were approved in both 2017 and 2018, while only nine people requested removal in 2019.

A total of nine requests were denied in a three-year period.

Temporary detective chief inspector, Dave Freeman, said: "We take the management of sex offenders extremely seriously and will monitor, risk assess and enforce the law applied to those on the register."

The management of risk in the community is provided under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) which involves police, probation and other partner agencies.

After someone is convicted in relation to a sexual offence, they are added to the sex offenders register.

The offender will have to notify police of their name, date of birth and home address along with notifying their local constabulary of any intended travel.

However, since 2012, people who are subject to indefinite notification requirements can apply to be removed, after a fixed period of time has elapsed.

This is currently 15 years for an adult and eight years for a juvenile.

A spokesman from the NSPCC's East of England branch said: "These figures include perpetrators who will have committed the most appalling and serious sexual offences against children.

"Reoffending should be a significant concern and it's important that police have the right resources to tackle that threat and keep the most vulnerable safe."

When considering an application for removal from the list, officers look at a number of factors including the seriousness of the offence, how long ago it was committed, the difference in age between the perpetrator and victim, and any subsequent convictions.

Dept chief insp Freeman added: "Having carefully considered all available information, we make a determination based upon the current level of risk as to whether that person should still be subject to notification requirements.

"We have a duty to enforce the law and apply this legislation in a fair manner."