THE police officer who led the inquiry into the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne has appealed to Dorset parents and carers to help in the fight against paedophiles.

Now retired, Martyn Underhill has recently moved to the county and is backing a new scheme, known as Sarah’s Law, which will be adopted by police in the county on August 1.

It gives parents, guardians and other third parties the right to ask for information about anyone they suspect is a paedophile who has access to children.

And Mr Underhill urged the Dorset public to use their rights as outlined in the scheme, which he describes as ‘another tool in the tool box in the fight against paedophiles’.

He said: “I would encourage people to report any concerns they may have. I think some people might be nervous about doing so but there has been a pilot scheme and it has worked very well.”

Mr Underhill, now living in Poole, led the inquiry in Sussex nearly 10 years ago which eventually saw predatory paedophile Roy Whiting jailed for life for abducting and murdering the little girl.