A SEX offender who moved to an address approved by his supervising probation failed to tell the police.

Blackburn magistrates heard under the sex offender registration requirements Hassan Ali was obliged to inform the police of any change of address within three days but failed to do so.

Ali, 27, of Hazel Avenue, Darwen, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements. He was committed in custody to Preston Crown Court to be sentenced on Dec 7.

Jack Troup, prosecuting, said Ali was convicted of sexual activity with a female child under the age of 16 in March 2015.

There had been three previous breaches of the registration requirements and for the latest, in April, he was jailed for 40 weeks.

Following his release Ali had been living at a bail hostel in Blackburn which he left on October 27 and moved to his address in Darwen.

“He failed to notify the police of his address and on November 2 he was arrested at Hazel Avenue,” said Mr Troup.

Mark Williams, defending, said that when his client received the 40-week custodial sentence in April he had effectively gone on the run.

“His whereabouts were unknown to the police for about five months and that was deemed to be a serious offence, worthy of a lengthy sentence,” said Mr Williams.

“In this case we are talking about three days and he was living at an address which had been approved by the probation service. It was clearly not a determined attempt to avoid detection over a long period of time and you may feel that it was a minor breach.”