POLICE failed to warn residents a “sexual predator” was on the run from a mental Health unit.

Essex Police’s Det Chief Insp Darrin Tomkins had earlier branded John Oliver, 68, an “intelligent, devious, uncontrollable, absconding sexual predator”.

Yet the force did not inform the public when he gave the slip to medical staff from Clare House, Bowers Gifford, on a supervised shopping trip to Basildon town centre.

He was on the run for eight days before being found in a hotel in Colchester.

Yet it took an anonymous tip-off to our newsroom, two days after Oliver fled, to prompt police to confirm he was missing.

Police spokeswoman Helen Cook, employed in Essex Police’s press office, then said they had no information to suggest Oliver was dangerous.

Now we can reveal police branded Oliver a “dangerous” man who regularly preyed on “vulnerable individuals”.

A letter about Oliver, written by Det Chief Insp Tomkins to the North Essex Mental Health Partnership in May – four months before he went missing from Clare House – said he was declared “dangerous” by police after being released from a mental health unit in January.

Mr Tomkins went on: “It is clear from the information disclosed by the mental health team on April 27, 2009, that Oliver is an intelligent, devious, uncontrollable, absconding sexual predator.

“Oliver has an inherent ability to seek out/identify vulnerable individuals.”

Mr Tomkins said Oliver was unsuitable for residential care – such as a unit like Clare House – because he continually preyed on vulnerable people.

But the senior officer also believed Oliver posed an even greater risk.

He continued: “The police suggest the concept of releasing him into the community exposes him to a far wider range and number of such individuals and that actually this is far more dangerous as it is completely without control.”

After his disappearance – on Saturday, September 19 – police only revealed he was missing two days later when quizzed by a reporter following a tip-off.

Supt Steve Worron, of Basildon police, defended the police by saying officers made “measured decisions” about what they tell the public.

He said : “On September 19, John Oliver was reported missing from Clare House by staff.

“Essex Police undertook an investigation to locate him safely and return him to Clare House, and this successfully concluded on September 27.

“Throughout that time the risk posed to the public and to John Oliver was subject to regular reviews.”

Donna Veasey, Essex Police spokeswoman, said: “Publicising missing people is one tactic the police use in trying to trace them.

“There are many other inquiries which police conduct to look for someone who is missing.”

Heather Watts, spokeswoman for Essex Police, added: “Based on the information the press office was given at the time, we had no reason to suspect that John Oliver was dangerous.”