NEW checks are to be carried out by police officers to avoid a repeat of the Martin Goldberg scandal.

Essex Police and Crime Commissioner, Nick Alston, has got assurances from chief constable, Stephen Kavanagh, that background checks are to be carried out immediately after officers are passed information about potential criminals.

The force has been heavily criticised, and is subject to an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, for failing to act on intelligence for more than a year about Mr Goldberg, deputy head at Thorpe Hall School in Wakering Road, Thorpe Bay.

Goldberg, 46, killed himself at his home in Dalwood, Shoebury, on September 10 this year, a day after officers had spoken to him about child pornography.

Mr Alston said: "I asked the chief constable for an urgent review, and as a result, Essex Police will now perform an occupation and workplace vetting check on receipt of any intelligence package suggesting that a person has a sexual interest in children, regardless of the nature of any accompanying risk assessment.

"As Police and Crime Commissioner, it was clear to me that in order to safeguard children in Essex, and bring perpetrators to justice, we could not wait months or even years for the results of any independent watchdog investigation - as important as that process is.

"We needed to identify any key issues immediately, and Essex Police needed to act to address those matters and help protect children from harm as soon as possible. The force’s rapid action was important and has my full support."

A search of Goldberg's home found he had more than 7,000 images of children with more than 1,000 of them being gathered by secretly filming children in the school's changing rooms and at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre in Garon Park.

Information about Goldberg was passed by Canadian police to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and then to Essex Police, but his background was never checked.