It looks as though the long-running campaign by Paula Hudgell, the adoptive mum of Tony Hudgell, to have a national register of child abusers created might be about to pay off.

Mrs Hudgell from Kings Hill, already achieved one major success this month, when the House of Commons passed Tony's Law, which greatly increases the maximum penalties for child cruelty.

At the time, the Justice Secretary Dominic Raab asked Mrs Hudgell if there was anything else the government should do, to which she answered, yes, establish a national register of child abusers, so that those who had abused once, were not able to go on to abuse other children.

Mrs Hudgell was aware that Tony's natural parents, who had abused him so badly when he was a baby that he had to have both legs amputated, could soon to be released from jail.

At the time, Mr Raab seemed surprised there wasn't already a register, but this week he sent a letter to the Hudgells indicating he would support such a move.

He wrote: "The National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel's review of the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson (two other abused children who died from their injuries) provides an opportunity to consider whether the establishment of a child cruelty register would help prevent such horrendous crimes happening again.

"I am pleased to confirm that the Education Secretary has shared my request with the panel chair, Annie Hudson, to consider how the review can further our thinking in this space.

Mr Raab said: "The Terms of Reference of the review commit it to making recommendations about how national safeguarding practice and systems should change to protect children in the future.

"The National Review is expected to report by the end of May.

"I can assure you that the government will consider its recommendations very carefully and that we will continue to do everything in our power to protect vulnerable children from abuse."

A child cruelty register could see any future children of convicted abusers removed from their care and a ban on close contact with other children.

Mrs Hudgell, 54, Tweeted: "It's great news, a huge step forward."

Tony, now seven, was admitted to the Evelina London Children's Hospital in 2015 with a catalogue of appalling injuries including multiple organ failure and fractures - all inflicted by his biological parents Jody Simpson and Tony Smith.

Mrs Hudgell said: "People seem quite surprised there isn't already a register, it's only logical that there should be.

"Otherwise when these people have competed their jail terms, their life is their own.

"They could be baby-sitting your child and you would never know their history."