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New law on kidnappers 'within days' after Press fight success

A new law to protect children from kidnappers, fought for by The Press in York, could be in force within days.

New legislation giving judges the power to place child abductors on the sex offenders’ register, ensuring kidnappers can be monitored on their release from prison, has been approved by MPs.

It follows the York paper’s Change it! campaign, and York MP Hugh Bayley has said the law could be in place by mid-February, providing it goes through the Commons without objection.

He told a Commons committee of the important role played by The Press in persuading the Government to bring in the new rules, which will also apply to cases of attempted child abduction and some stalking cases.

He said: “The Press campaign undoubtedly focused attention on the need to change the law. The statements of support it received from the Prime Minister and opposition leaders ensured that the law was changed quickly.

“I congratulate The Press on its campaign and for its balanced coverage of an emotional issue.”

The MP also paid tribute to Natalie Hick, the York teenager who came close to being kidnapped and then waived her right to anonymity to back Change It!

The campaign was launched after her would-be abductor, Terry Delaney, was jailed for four years for attempting to snatch Natalie from a bus stop. A judge at York Crown Court was unable to place him on the register because of a loophole in the law.

Natalie and her mother, June, went down to London last autumn to hand over a Press petition calling for a change in the law, signed by thousands of readers.

The Government later announced that it was laying an order before Parliament to make the necessary legislative changes, marking an historic victory for the campaign.