Six registered sex offenders from Hertfordshire are wanted because their whereabouts are unknown, police have today confirmed – and officers have appealed for the public’s help tracking down three of them.

Det Supt Paul Maghie, the force’s head of safeguarding, has released the details of three registered sex offenders who are wanted. They are:

• Robert Morton, 54, whose last known address is Abbotsbury Court in Watford

He is wanted for breach of his licence conditions.

• Scott Wood, 37, whose last known address is Ely Close in Stevenage

He is wanted for failing to appear at court; and

• Mihai Gurguta, 29, whose last known address is High Street in Baldock

He is wanted for breach of his notification requirements.

Police have chosen to only release information about these three at this stage after considering factors including safeguarding and risk.

Det Supt Maghie said: “There are six registered sex offenders from Hertfordshire who are currently wanted. This figure represents less than one per cent of the total number of registered sex offenders who are managed by Hertfordshire Constabulary.

“We are continuing to actively seek these people and have a specialist team of officers based at police headquarters who carry out this work.

“Several of these offenders are believed to be out of the country at this time, and we are working with other UK forces and foreign law enforcement to find them.

“As I’m sure you will understand, much of this work is operationally sensitive so I am unable to go into details about the methods we use.

“Information about these offenders and their wanted status is logged on the Police National Computer, which means their details are shared with all UK forces. Should they be stopped for any reason by police their details will be checked and they will subsequently be arrested.”

The Herts force has released the information after Sky News yesterday revealed that police across Britain have lost track of 485 registered sex offenders, including rapists and paedophiles. The Home Office said this was less than one per cent of the total.

Anyone with information that can help Herts police trace these sex offenders should call 101 or report information at herts.police.uk/report.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through their anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

• Police initially issued the information with the ages and last known addresses of Robert Morton and Mihai Gurguta mixed up, before correcting this on the morning of March 22.