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Some of Britain’s most dangerous paedophiles have been chemically castrated to curb their sick desires.

Around 100 perverts volunteered for the controversial government prison initiative that has divided professional opinion.

They were given drugs designed to reduce testosterone levels to those of prepubescent boys in a bid to crush sex drive and keep children safe from their evil clutches.

The treatment is being piloted by psychiatrists at Whatton, a specialist jail in Nottinghamshire that holds only sex offenders.

The shock “cure” could be used on vile paedophiles such as Roy Whiting, who killed Sussex schoolgirl Sarah Payne in 2000.

Criminal psychiatrist Professor Don Grubin has been co-ordinating the programme nationally with the prison service and the Department of Health.

He said: “I have referred around 100 people for the treatment. It is still ongoing but do not have anything to do with the treatment.

"They come to me in the first instance to see whether the treatment is appropriate for them.

“We know the treatment works to reduce sexual arousal and fantasies.”

But the Prison Reform Trust branded the scheme a waste of money and said chemical castration is no replacement for proper rehabilitation.

Director Juliet Lyon said: “It’s difficult to see why anyone would invest public money in controversial medication when you could fund sex offender treatment in prison, police and public protection on release, all of which are proven to reduce reoffending and make communities safer.”

Evidence from Scandinavia suggests chemical castration, which has the same effect as physical castration, can cut rates of reoffending from 40% to 5%.

(Image: Raymonds Press)

Guidance on the medication says it should be used for those with compulsive or ­impulsive urges to offend, those who have difficulties in ­controlling sexual arousal, intrusive sexual fantasies or urges, sadism or other “dangerous” tendencies such as necrophilia.

But it stresses: “It is anticipated only small numbers of sex offenders will benefit from these treatments.”

The Ministry of Justice said: “We support the use of ­pharmaceutical ­interventions for high risk sex offenders given the evidence that it can be useful in reducing risk for some perpetrators.”

The drug, leuprorelin sold as Prostap, switches off the male hormone testosterone, linked to the high sex drives in paedophiles. But some experts believe it does not work and can have bad side-effects.

Chemical castration is mandatory for perverts in Poland, Moldova, Russia and certain US states.

Who needs the drugs

ROY WHITING, 53

Murdered Sarah Payne, aged eight, in West Sussex in 2000.

COLIN BLANCHARD, 41

Jailed indefinitely last year for running web paedophile network in Rochdale, including nursery worker Vanessa George.

ANTHONY BARRON, 57

Committed sex attacks on up to 90 girls as young as three from 1995 to 2006 in Oxfordshire.

DEREK SKARDON, 45

Put film of his “depraved and shocking” abuse of girl of six in Liverpool online.