Tayside Police has admitted losing track of seven registered sex offenders.
The force has revealed that the seven were recorded as wanted because their whereabouts were unknown at the end of July. They were all presumed to be abroad.
Tayside Police released the figure in response to a freedom of information request, but advised that the situation can change as arrests are made or new cases come to light.
Outlining the steps being taken to trace the missing offenders, a spokesman said: “Where a registered sex offender (RSO) is discovered to be missing, every effort is made to trace him or her as a matter of urgency.
“All missing RSO details are held on the Police National Computer system to which all forces have access and details are also passed to Interpol.”
Permission can also be sought from the Crown Office to issue a public appeal.
“Where inquiries fail to trace an offender, consideration may be given to a public appeal in an effort to trace the individual concerned.
“A number of factors require to be considered before a public appeal is made such as the risk posed by the offender, current information about their whereabouts and the wider public safety.
“These factors require to be carefully balanced prior to any public appeal, as such an appeal may make it more difficult to trace an offender and may also place the individual concerned at risk of some form of attack once they have been publicly identified.”