DATA released by Police Scotland shows that there are currently 68 registered sex offenders (RSOs) living at East Lothian postcodes.

The statistics were produced by Police Scotland in August and show how many RSOs are living in every postcode in Scotland.

The EH21 area, which covers Musselburgh, Wallyford and Whitecraig, has the largest number of RSOs living in the area with 23 listed.

Twelve offenders are registered in the EH32 area, which includes Prestonpans, Port Seton, Longniddry and Aberlady.

A further 12 are registered in the EH41 area, which includes Haddington, Gifford, Longyester and Whittingehame.

Eight offenders are registered in the EH33 area, which includes Tranent, Elphinstone and Macmerry.

The EH42 area, which includes Dunbar, Innerwick, West Barns and Whitekirk, has six RSOs.

Three RSOs are registered in the EH39 area, covering North Berwick, Dirleton, Athelstaneford and East Fortune.

Two offenders are registered in both the EH40, East Linton, and EH31, Gullane, areas.

There are no offenders listed for the EH34 and EH35 areas, which include Pencaitland, East and West Saltoun, and Ormiston.

No data has been published for the EH36 area, which includes Humbie, due to the population of the area being too low. Police say publishing the information could lead to the identification of the individual(s) on the register.

There are a total of 4,795 RSOs in Scotland with 1,879 in custody or hospital.

There are currently 410 RSOs in the Lothians & Scottish Borders policing area with 159 in custody or hospital.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Protecting the public is a priority for Police Scotland. While we can never eliminate risk entirely, we want to reassure communities that all reasonable steps are being taken to protect them.

“We put in place measures to minimise the likelihood of further sexual reoffending by registered sex offenders (RSOs) and would seek to reassure people that sexual reoffending rates remain extremely low.

“RSOs are robustly managed by the police and our partners through the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA), and subject to comprehensive risk assessment and risk management in the community. Police Scotland has units of dedicated officers specially trained for this task.”

The report also found that, as of August 31, 2023, Police Scotland has 14 wanted RSOs and one missing RSO. Police said that enquiries to date indicate that 14 of the 15 wanted or missing offenders have left the UK.