The Birmingham MP who said paedophiles should be allowed to continue living next to a school has come under fire from colleagues in the House of Commons.

But Lynne Jones (Lab Selly Oak) defended her views, saying there was no evidence of problems with a hostel in her constituency where the residents include sex offenders.

The MP criticised a Government announcement earlier this week that paedophiles were to be moved out of 11 probation service hostels next to schools.

They include Elliot House, in Edgbaston Road, Balsall Heath, in Dr Jones's constituency.

It is next door to a nursery, and three more schools are within three quarters of a mile radius of the hostel.

Now she has come under fire f rom fellow Labour MP Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port & Neston), who said it was "astonishing" that anyone could disagree with the decision.

Mr Miller said: "Would any such critic want their children to attend a centre, or school, next door to an institution housing paedophiles?"

But Dr Jones hit back, saying: "The question that needs to be posed is in what way will the measures proposed by the Home Secretary actually make children safer?"

She added: "The bail hostel in my constituency, Elliot House, has been doing excellent work with offenders, some of whom have been sex offenders, for many years.

"In the 14 years that I have been the MP for the area, I have had no complaints about the hostel."

She had tabled a Parliamentary question asking John Reid, the Home Secretary, to explain exactly why he was concerned about Elliot House, she said.

Even if paedophiles were moved they would still live near children, Dr Jones added.

"There is no residential area in the country without children. The fact is, wherever these hostels are, there will be children living nearby.

" Withdrawing much-needed services provided by a hostel just because it is near a school gives a false sense of security - such measures will make it more, not less, difficult to monitor and supervise sex offenders when they have finished their sentences. "This policy is whipping up anxiety which could well lead to a decline in effective supervision work and more released offenders disappearing into the community.

"What is important is not the location but whether there are effective controls and supervision in place."

Dr Reid's proposals have also been attacked by Welsh Chief Constable Terry Grange, who heads Dyfed Powys Police and claimed the Home Secretary was paying too much attention to the demands of The News of the World.

The Government's tough stance followed the outcry over the case of Craig Sweeney, who was sentenced to "life" for kidnapping and assaulting a three year- old girl, but could be released on parole in less than six years.

Meanwhile, the Govern-ment said yesterday senior police chiefs had a right to speak out on controversial issues.

Commons Leader Jack Straw was speaking following Mr Grange's comments that the Home Office was making "on the hoof" policies. ..SUPL: