No more sex offenders at city hospice

Jan 10 2007

SEX offenders will no longer be housed in a Birmingham hostel following a risk assessment by the Home Office, it was revealed today.

Welford House Hostel, in Aston, which is near two primary schools, was at the centre of a storm last year after it was discovered that a high-profile convicted paedophile had been relocated there.

Postman Anthony Parnell was moved from a hostel near a primary school in Leamington Spa to Welford House.

The hostel in Trinity Road is next to Birchfield Community School and just yards from Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, both of which have pupils aged between three and 11.

At Warwick Crown Court, Parnell, 45, of Nuneaton, admitted indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl and taking indecent photographs of her.

The pervert also admitted owning nearly 600 disgusting images, some of which showed sadism, and adults having sex with children.

Parnell was jailed for three years, but was out on licence under night curfew, free to walk the streets unsupervised during the day.

School parent Ilyas Ishmail, of Arden Road, Aston, said at the time: "I feel disgusted. How can they put such a person next to two primary schools?"