A loophole allowing sex offenders to slip off the police radar by declaring themselves homeless is to be closed, the justice secretary announced today.

A loophole allowing sex offenders to slip off the police radar by declaring themselves homeless is to be closed, the justice secretary announced today.

Kenny MacAskill said new laws will make sure registered offenders have to report to authorities weekly, daily, or even hourly, if the Bill is supported by the Scottish Parliament.

"We'll be using the first available opportunity in the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill to close it," he said.

The issue was raised three years ago in a report to the previous Scottish Executive by professor George Irving, who made 36 recommendations.

Under current rules, offenders must give an address but it has been reported that homeless offenders have passed on details of libraries, job centres and a cemetery.

Mr MacAskill said today that seven offenders were registered homeless in the Lothian and Borders area last year but could not reveal the total Scottish number.

He said the new measures could be law by 2010.

Mr MacAskill said some people may be legitimately homeless but moved to assure the public that new laws would close the loophole.

He went on: "This is the first chance we've had.

"It's not as if though we've not been taking action to deal with the difficulties that the few but very dangerous number of sex offenders that are out there pose."