Simeon Hope, who also goes by the name Gary Anderson, is living in a flat in the town’s Dalmeny area. Neighbours and residents will be shocked to learn that Hope, 48, has been jailed three times since the year 2000 for repeatedly being caught with sickening stashes of illegal images.

On Monday afternoon, we tracked Hope down to his home, which is just a stone’s throw from Neilston Cemetry and a 15-minute walk from every Barrhead school.

It’s understood Hope moved to Barrhead earlier this year – after moving north from England - and is living in a flat owned by East Renfrewshire Council.

During a previous court case, it emerged that the former teacher admitted during a police interview that he was sexually attracted to girls aged between eight and 12.

He also described people assigned to treat him as “fools” and bragged: “My strategy is to tell these lovely, caring people what they like to hear. I want to be regarded as low-risk so I can lead a more normal life.” The shocking revelation comes just weeks after we revealed how East Renfrewshire Council is legally obliged to house convicted sex offenders in the area.

A senior council source this week expressed concern about Hope’s presence in the town, saying: “He has been here for a number of months now and there are many people within the council, including myself, who are not happy with his presence.

“We do not need or want these kind of people in Barrhead.” Hope was jailed by a Derby Crown Court judge for nine months in 2010 after his third conviction, following previous jail sentences in 2000 and 2003 for similar offences.

The former Green Party candidate, originally from County Durham, moved to Derbyshire after his release from prison in 2001.

The Northern Echo newspaper reported that he had previously written a letter to the publication in 1998, before any of his convictions. It was said that, in the letter, he complained that children were over protected by society.

In 1999 Hope, then known as Gary Anderson, was caught with more than 5,000 indecent images on a computer and three photo albums, for which he was jailed for 18 months.

After being released, he was then sentenced to another 18 months and disqualified from working with children for life after officers discovered 149 indecent images, again on a computer.

And in 2010, Anderson pleaded guilty in Derby Crown Court to eight counts of either making or possessing images of children. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Another senior council source last month revealed that more than 20 registered sex offenders were now living in Barrhead.

East Renfrewshire Council, like every other local authority, is legally bound to supply homes to convicts when they leave jail. However, council bosses and police say public safety is the highest priority, and each individual is closely monitored.

A council spokeswoman said: “It is the legal duty of the council to make help with arrangements for the provision and appropriate supervision for offenders who come from East Renfrewshire when they are released from prison. This is the same for all councils in the UK.

“Social work, police and a range of agencies work together to ensure that each individual who leaves prison is closely monitored and housed appropriately.

“This multi-agency places public safety as its highest priority at all times. Information on those who are the subject of supervision orders is strictly confidential.”