A RECORD number of foreign paedophiles have been unmasked by cops in Britain.

There were more than three cases a week last year where suspects were found to have convictions for child abuse in their home country.

1 A record number of foreign paedophiles have been unmasked by cops in Britain Credit: Alamy

And the total of 181 cases is a 32 per cent leap from 137 in 2017.

Just a couple of years earlier — in 2014 and 2015 — there were only 34 cases.

In the past three years checks showed that 482 suspects quizzed by UK cops over separate crimes had been convicted of paedophile offences at home.

Most were from Romania (91), then the Czech Republic (64), Poland (60), Slovakia (42) and Lithuania (30).

British cops can ask ACRO, the national Criminal Records Office, to look into the background of any foreigners they have arrested.

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A Freedom of Information request also found that, over the last three-year, 827 arrested foreigners had a murder or manslaughter conviction in their home country.

And 714 suspects were found to have convictions for rape.

David Spencer, of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “These shocking figures underline the risks British people have been exposed to by freedom of movement within the EU.”

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