Members of the public are being invited to play a part in overseeing the management and monitoring of sexual and violent offenders in their communities.

For the first time, lay members are to be invited to sit on the strategic board overseeing the Multi Agency Public Protection Panels which monitor and manage dangerous and high-profile offenders. Advertisements for the posts will soon appear in local papers.

Since April 1, 2001, the probation service and police have had a duty to work together to protect the public from sexual, violent and other potentially-dangerous offenders.

These two agencies have primary responsibility under the Court Services and Criminal Justice Act, but work closely with social services, health and local authority housing, as well as the prison service.

Initially, eight probation/police areas are inviting two members of the public to apply to sit on the boards overseeing these panels. Meeting quarterly, they will oversee the work of the panels in managing offenders in their area.

The eight areas are Cumbria, Durham, South Wales, Surrey, the West Midlands, Dorset, Greater Manchester and Hampshire.

No educational qualifications are necessary, although candidates will need to be able to understand complex information, make sensible decisions and have an interest in community and social issues.

While no payment will be made to lay members, their expenses will be met, and they can claim compensation for loss of earnings.

Chairman of the Hampshire area strategic board, Liz Ashton, is an assistant chief officer of probation. She said: "We are very pleased to have been selected as a pilot area.

"We actually volunteered to take part. Many different agencies and organisations are represented on our board and we all agree that lay members will bring a valuable new perspective to our work."