By . Jack Doyle and Eleanor Harding . PUBLISHED: . 09:46 EST, 10 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:49 EST, 11 March 2013 . Landmark ruling: George St Angeli is pictured leaving Leeds Magistrates' Court on Wednesday after being removed from the Sex Offenders' Register . Nearly 50 violent attackers are in line to be removed from the sex offenders’ register, the Mail can reveal today. Yesterday it emerged that a convicted paedophile had become the first to have his name taken off the list by exploiting a human rights ruling. George St Angeli was jailed in the mid-1990s for interfering with two young girls and put on the register for life. But the decision means his name is removed permanently and he no longer has to tell police if he is living near a school, travelling overseas or has access to young children. Police had rejected the application, saying they did not consider the 71-year-old to be safe and wanted him to remain under supervision. But despite hearing details of St Angeli’s crimes, a judge last week said he couldn’t see ‘any benefit’ in St Angeli remaining on the register. A Freedom of Information Act request by the Mail shows another 47 sex offenders have made similar requests to police forces. They are entitled to do so under a human rights ruling in 2011 which said it was wrong to keep offenders on the register without any prospect of appeal. The ruling sparked fury among children’s groups. The NSPCC said it feared the rights of convicted sex offenders were being put ahead of the need to protect children. A spokesman told the Sun newspaper: ‘Adults who seriously sexually abuse children should stay on the register for life as you can never be sure they will not commit further offences. We can only try to control and contain their behaviour. ‘We will be monitoring the appeals process closely and will raise concerns if we believe the civil liberties of convicted sex offenders are being put ahead of the protection of children.’ Claude Knights, director of the charity Kidscape, said: ‘This must not open the floodgates. The register does an important job and appeals to be removed should only be successful after very careful consideration. The safety of children is paramount.’ Hearing: At Leeds Magistrates' Court (file picture) on Wednesday, St Angeli became the first person in England to win the right to have his name removed from the register . Tory MP Philip Davies said the ruling was ‘ludicrous’. He added: ‘The only thing a decision like this can do is put more people at risk. This sets a precedent for other cases. It opens the floodgates. I do not see any case where people should be removed from this register.’ Astonished: Conservative MP for Shipley Philip Davies said the ruling was 'absolutely ludicrous' St Angeli committed a string of sex offences against the young girls over a five-year period. He was jailed for five years in 1993 but released on parole in 1996. Last year West Yorkshire Police rejected his application to have his name removed, but the married felon won his appeal at Leeds Magistrates’ Court last week when District Judge Christopher Darnton overturned the ruling. Andrew Garthwaite, representing the police, said: ‘He exploited connections to commit very serious crimes against a girl who ultimately had her life destroyed.’ But Judge Darnton said: ‘The order has now served its purpose and I cannot see any benefit in it remaining.’ St Angeli said the ruling would ‘give me the freedom to travel if I need to, to go on holiday with my wife’. He added: ‘It’s a great weight off my shoulders.’ The register was drawn up to help officers track sex offenders after they are released from prison. Anyone jailed for two years must stay on the register for life. But following the 2011 Supreme Court ruling, adult offenders can appeal for removal 15 years after they leave prison. Young offenders can appeal after eight years. A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Offenders who continue to pose a risk should remain subject to notification for life.’
George St Angeli, 71, was jailed for five years in 1993 for child sex offences .
He was released on parole in 1996 and went onto offender's register in 1997 .
But on Wednesday at Leeds Magistrates' Court he got his name removed .
It follows Supreme Court ruling over appeals for paedophiles in Feb. 2011 .
He can now roam wherever he likes with police no longer able to track him .
By . Jack Doyle and Eleanor Harding . PUBLISHED: . 09:46 EST, 10 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:49 EST, 11 March 2013 . Landmark ruling: George St Angeli is pictured leaving Leeds Magistrates' Court on Wednesday after being removed from the Sex Offenders' Register . Nearly 50 violent attackers are in line to be removed from the sex offenders’ register, the Mail can reveal today. Yesterday it emerged that a convicted paedophile had become the first to have his name taken off the list by exploiting a human rights ruling. George St Angeli was jailed in the mid-1990s for interfering with two young girls and put on the register for life. But the decision means his name is removed permanently and he no longer has to tell police if he is living near a school, travelling overseas or has access to young children. Police had rejected the application, saying they did not consider the 71-year-old to be safe and wanted him to remain under supervision. But despite hearing details of St Angeli’s crimes, a judge last week said he couldn’t see ‘any benefit’ in St Angeli remaining on the register. A Freedom of Information Act request by the Mail shows another 47 sex offenders have made similar requests to police forces. They are entitled to do so under a human rights ruling in 2011 which said it was wrong to keep offenders on the register without any prospect of appeal. The ruling sparked fury among children’s groups. The NSPCC said it feared the rights of convicted sex offenders were being put ahead of the need to protect children. A spokesman told the Sun newspaper: ‘Adults who seriously sexually abuse children should stay on the register for life as you can never be sure they will not commit further offences. We can only try to control and contain their behaviour. ‘We will be monitoring the appeals process closely and will raise concerns if we believe the civil liberties of convicted sex offenders are being put ahead of the protection of children.’ Claude Knights, director of the charity Kidscape, said: ‘This must not open the floodgates. The register does an important job and appeals to be removed should only be successful after very careful consideration. The safety of children is paramount.’ Hearing: At Leeds Magistrates' Court (file picture) on Wednesday, St Angeli became the first person in England to win the right to have his name removed from the register . Tory MP Philip Davies said the ruling was ‘ludicrous’. He added: ‘The only thing a decision like this can do is put more people at risk. This sets a precedent for other cases. It opens the floodgates. I do not see any case where people should be removed from this register.’ Astonished: Conservative MP for Shipley Philip Davies said the ruling was 'absolutely ludicrous' St Angeli committed a string of sex offences against the young girls over a five-year period. He was jailed for five years in 1993 but released on parole in 1996. Last year West Yorkshire Police rejected his application to have his name removed, but the married felon won his appeal at Leeds Magistrates’ Court last week when District Judge Christopher Darnton overturned the ruling. Andrew Garthwaite, representing the police, said: ‘He exploited connections to commit very serious crimes against a girl who ultimately had her life destroyed.’ But Judge Darnton said: ‘The order has now served its purpose and I cannot see any benefit in it remaining.’ St Angeli said the ruling would ‘give me the freedom to travel if I need to, to go on holiday with my wife’. He added: ‘It’s a great weight off my shoulders.’ The register was drawn up to help officers track sex offenders after they are released from prison. Anyone jailed for two years must stay on the register for life. But following the 2011 Supreme Court ruling, adult offenders can appeal for removal 15 years after they leave prison. Young offenders can appeal after eight years. A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Offenders who continue to pose a risk should remain subject to notification for life.’
Court on Wednesday after being removed from the George St Angeli was jailed in the mid-1990s for name is removed permanently and he no longer has paramount.’ Hearing: At Leeds Magistrates' Court his name removed from the register . Tory MP St Angeli committed a string of sex offences He was jailed for five years in 1993 but released on parole in 1996. Last year West Yorkshire Supreme Court ruling, adult offenders can appeal