Downing Street has said Tony Blair is "very distressed" by the tragic murder of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

Speaking as the people of Soham come to terms with their murder, Number 10 said the prime minister had watched the TV coverage of the tragedy from his French holiday retreat.

"He is very distressed to hear about these offences and he feels a great deal of sympathy for the parents," said a spokeswoman.

"This story has been getting a lot of coverage in Europe as well as in this country so he has been seeing coverage in France as well as being kept up to date by the office."

Number 10's comments came as the government said it was willing to look again at child protection legislation.

Home Office minister Beverley Hughes counselled against a clamour for tougher laws.

Whilst she dismissed calls for the publication of the sex offenders register, she signalled that the government would be open to the idea of toughening child protection laws.

"I am not clear, and I don't think anybody can be at the moment, whether that issue has any relevance whatsoever for this particular horrific crime," she told the BBC on Monday.

"As far as we know at the moment it has none. Nonetheless, I think it is very important that we do reassure people that what we have done over the last four years is begin a complete transformation of the way in which we manage and regulate sex offenders - and therefore protect children."

But she said the government would examine whether current laws were sufficient in light of the Soham tragedy.

"As we go into the next parliamentary session we will be ratcheting up those measures even further as we learned over the last four years how best to maximise that protection," said Hughes.