Schools wary of freed convict

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Parents and children have been warned after a convicted sex offender moved into a house near two Greymouth primary schools.

Police said the man had been living in the area for several weeks and had a history of preying on "vulnerable people".

The man was living close to Grey Main School and St Patrick's School.

Grey Main principal Mandy O'Sullivan said the school used its weekly newsletter to inform parents of the man's presence.

"Children have been told by a teacher in the class about how they need to be vigilant about keeping themselves safe," she said.

"We need to be vigilant about our behaviour, but not vigilante."

West Coast area commander Inspector John Canning said there were no conditions the man had to abide by, and he had "served his time".

Police had recently visited both schools as part of their youth education service programme.

"We are trying to do a bit of positive work in relation to safety, not just from him but from anybody," Canning said.

"The guy has got a right to turn his life around. At the same time, we have got to think of the community as well.

"No-one has any control of him in any way; he's free to do what he wants."

St Patrick's School principal Mary-Clare Murphy agreed the offender should have the chance to rehabilitate, but said parents needed to know of his presence.

The school had used its newsletter to warn them about the dangers of letting children walk to school alone.

"It was a good idea to tell parents, but not in a scaremongering way," Murphy said.

Police had visited the school and talked to the children about "stranger danger".

"We do it every year anyway, so it was just sort of revision," she said.