Hundreds of councils in England and Wales, and across Scotland, have refused to re-house the convicted sex offender.

It means the reviled sex attacker will continue to stay in his hometown of Midlothian and continue to spark mass protests by local campaigners.

The 34-year-old, who raped a student at Rosslyn Chapel in 2005, has been staying in Bonnyrigg – a 15-minute drive from the scene of his crime.

A meeting between protesters, Midlothian Council officials and partner agencies of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) took place earlier this week.

MAPPA officials told protesters to tone down their campaign in order to entice councils who might be willing to re-house Greens. However, campaigners have ignored their pleas.