A father is furious a paedophile convicted of abusing his son has been cleared to return to his home village.

Thomas Brant, 51, is to be released within days after serving half of a four-and-a-half year prison sentence for two charges of indecency with a child and five charges of indecent assault on a male person.

His return to the home he shared with his wife in Westfield Road, Benson, has been approved by officials but the victim's father is worried as his son lives nearby.

Some neighbours in the close-knit village said they believed the sex offender - a former parish councillor who helped organise village playschemes - was returning as early as tomorrow.

The father of Brant's young victim, who cannot be named, said villagers needed to be aware.

He said: "He should have been castrated, chucked into jail and the keys thrown away. He got four-and-a-half years, but is out in two years and that's not nearly enough.

"I'm very distressed that he is out at all, but I think it's a scandal that he's back in Benson."

The Oxford Mail understands Brant will be released from prison on licence within days As a convicted paedophile Brant - who denied the charges but was convicted by a jury at Oxford Crown Court - must report to police within three days of his release and sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Some local mothers outside Benson Primary School said they were shocked they had not been told.

Neighbour and mother- of-three Janice Holmes, 44, of Blacklands Road, said: "He's going to live right opposite me and just 100 yards from a park. My kids are at the age when I should let them go on their own but I won't now."

Mother-of-two Natalie Forgey, of the Westfield Road area, said: "It's shocking - it's not as if he even served his full time in jail."

However, another villager said: "Tom was the life and soul of the party and did an enormous amount for this village.

"Like many others I was bewildered when he was convicted - I just couldn't believe it. But he has served his time and should be alone left to get on with his life."

Brant was chairman of Benson Area Play Scheme and once ran the village fun run in a dress, black stockings, make-up and a wig.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Probation Service said: "When someone is deemed to be safe to be released back into the community there is always a robust risk management scheme in place and a multi-agency public protection arrangement."

Benson Junior School headteacher Linda Neely said she is to speak to the governors and Oxfordshire County Council but could not say if warnings would be sent to parents.