A convicted rapist has been jailed for flouting new laws banning him from travelling abroad without informing police.

Magistrates sentenced Abdul Qoddus, 24, to three months in prison for flying to Bangladesh without notifying the police.

Quoddus was recently released from prison after serving a four-year rape sentence.

He was required to put his name on the sexual offenders' register as a condition of his release.

New rules were introduced to the register last year, forbidding listed offenders to leave the country without police notification.

Qoddus breached these conditions when he went to see his sick grandmother from April to August this year without consulting the police.

He was arrested when he returned to his home in Shipley Fields Road, Frizinghall, Bradford, two weeks ago.

The court heard that police officers had visited Qoddus at his home four times from April 2004 to explain the new rules.

Stephen Warrington, mitigating, said Qoddus had told a probation officer about his intended visit abroad because he could not find a police contact number.

Mr Warrington said: "The guidelines are scant and there have not been many cases of this type.

"We have to look at whether this is aimed at people like Qoddus who went abroad to see his ill grandmother or whether it's to prevent tourists of sexual nature from going where facilities of that nature exist. I think it is for the latter."

Handing out the sentence, which was reduced to two months for a guilty plea, magistrate Andrew Walbank said: "The sexual offenders' register aims to prevent harm.

"It covers a deliberate failure to notify the police, a high degree of risk and is a lifetime requirement."

"The offence was committed in a short time of release.

"The procedures were given to you by police officers.

"The objective of this sentence is punishment and the protection of the public.

"This offence is so serious that the sentence can only be a custodial one."