A paedophile who sexually assaulted young girls over a 25-year period has been told not to come back to Oxford.

Malcolm Morton, 61, formerly of Edgecombe Road, Barton, was convicted of a string of sexual offences against children and jailed for eight years in 2003.

Morton is understood to have been released from prison in Nottingham on Friday, but he has been ordered not to live in Barton.

There had been fears in the community he was planning to return, but Thames Valley Probation spokesman Fiona Tarrant said: “We have a big say about where he can and can’t go and he won’t be coming to Oxfordshire.

“Normally we don’t comment on individual cases, but we know people are concerned and we don’t want people to be worried.

“There’s no plan to release him near his victims. That wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Morton is being monitored under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements, which access and manage risks posed by sex offenders.

Concerned residents contacted the Oxford Mail worried the probation service would not be able to keep track of the convicted paedophile if he returned to Oxford.