Ankle tags will soon be used to monitor the sobriety of binge drinkers in the capital, London mayor Boris Johnson has announced.
In the first scheme of its kind in the UK, the compulsory tags will monitor the alcohol perspiration in offenders 24 hours a day.
The year-long pilot scheme has been launched in a South London area covering Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark and Sutton, where it is expected that between 100 and 150 offenders will be banned by the courts from drinking any alcohol for up to 120 days and constantly tested by the tags.
If the offender breaches the sobriety order, they can be returned to court for further sanctions.
It is hoped the programme it will ease the pressure on police and the criminal justice system and make streets and town centres safer, particularly at night. Similar schemes have been successful in the US.
Alcohol-related crime is estimated to cost the UK between £8bn and £13bn a year, with 40% of all A&E attendances related to alcohol misuse.
‘Alcohol-fuelled criminal behaviour is a real scourge on our high streets, deterring law-abiding citizens from enjoying our great city, especially at night, placing massive strain on frontline services, while costing businesses and the taxpayer billions of pounds,’ Johnson said.
