A LETTER calling for the sentence of a convicted child sex offender to be reviewed is being sent to the Lord Advocate by the leader of the Conservative Group on East Lothian Council.

John Boyd, from Prestonpans, admitted sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl but avoided a prison sentence when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last week.

He was instead placed on a community payback order, where he will be supervised for three years, and added to the sex offenders’ register.

Now, Councillor Lachlan Bruce, who represents the Preston Seton Gosford ward, is calling for Boyd’s sentence to be looked at again.

In his column in the Courier this week, Mr Bruce said: “It is decisions like these that lead to people protesting outside sex offenders’ homes because they no longer trust the criminal justice system to protect their children and families from these people.

"Our faith in the criminal justice system only works if we believe that justice is being served fairly and in this case, I think most people would agree it is not.”