A CONVICTED child killer has been forced to flee his home in Bishops Lydeard where he had been living in secret since August.

Robert Oliver, now going by the name of Francis Lee, 52, was a member of an east London paedophile gang who killed 14-year-old Jason Swift in 1985.

In 1989, Mr Oliver, his gay lover Sidney Cooke and two other gang members were convicted of the killing.

Oliver was released in Septem-ber, 1997, after serving ten years of a 15-year sentence for manslaughter.

But on Sunday his whereabouts were published by the News of the World, and angry parents and residents gathered outside his home in Darby Way the next day to stage a protest.

About 100 people set up camp outside his bungalow - located close to the local primary school and playing fields - chanting "pae-dophile out" and waving banners reading "Move the monster."

A neighbour of Mr Oliver, Jo Smith, told the County Gazette she used to go to bingo with him on a weekly basis, oblivious to his true identity.

"He was very over-friendly - my friends and family told me not to let him in the house," she said.

"I'm amazed he was allowed to live in such a small community. I can't feel any sympathy for him."

And the primary school had no idea that Mr Oliver was in the village until they read it in the press.

Head teacher Mark Smith said: "It's always a concern when somebody with a background such as this moves into the area."

A number of parents had come to him with concerns, he added.

The mother of eight-year-old twin girls, Lynn Gilbert, said she had taken her daughters to stay with relatives as soon as she lear-ned that Mr Oliver was in the village.

She said: "Hundreds of children play out here and his house is right near the football club. He has no place in society at all."

About 20 police officers pat-rolled the area surrounding Mr Ol-iver's home, and after eight hours of protests they were able to get him out.

At 8.40pm Mr Oliver walked out of the house relatively unseen via the back door, wearing a dark hooded top and carrying a holdall.

Angry residents threw eggs and shouted abuse as Mr Oliver got into the back of a van and was ta-ken away by police to an un-known location.

Supt Gary Davies said: "We ap-preciate the concerns the community have had about what is obviously a very emotive issue.

"Rest assured, police, the probation service and other agencies have been working with the individual concerned to ensure that he was effectively managed in the community.

"The man in question is no lon-ger in Bishops Lydeard and I'd appeal for calm in the village.

"We have strong and long-lasting links with the local community, and would hope we can maintain these relationships and build upon them in future.

"We've already had a number of extra patrols in the village talking to the local community.

"As a local force committed to creating safer, stronger neighbourhoods, support from villages like Bishops Lydeard is vital to lo-cal policing in the area."

Mr Oliver declined to speak to the County Gazette.

For the full special report, see today's County Gazette.