Thousands of UK criminals hit with World Cup drinking ban: ‘One slip up could send them to jail’

A World Cup drinking ban is being enforced on 7,300 criminals through hi-tech ankle tags, the Ministry of Justice has announced.

Some 5,000 offenders, either released from prison or serving a community sentence, had the alcohol-sensitive tags already fitted when the tournament started, with a further 2,300 expected to be given them over the course of the event.

The tags analyse a wearer's sweat 24 hours a day and send probation officers an alert if they have a drink, with the devices able to distinguish between an offender supporting their team from a pub or fan zone and actively drinking themselves.

Prisons, probation and reducing reoffending minister Lord James Timpson said: "Major sporting events should be a time for the country to come together and enjoy the game, not for alcohol-fuelled violence and disorder to ruin the occasion.

"Having this tech fixed around the ankle is the wake-up call to offenders and leaves them with the sobering thought that one slip-up could send them to jail."

The MoJ says that since the technology was rolled out in 2020, offenders banned from consuming alcohol have remained sober for 97% of the days they have been tagged.

David Sidwick and Joy Allen, the joint leads on addictions and substance misuse at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: "The World Cup unites the nation and we want to see football fans who usually support rival clubs celebrating together – including with a drink if that is their choice.

"However, alcohol fuels crime and anti-social behaviour, and evidence shows violence spikes around major sports events.

"Police and crime commissioners and deputy mayors back the use of alcohol tags to monitor offenders and incentivise them to stay away from crime as part of a programme of measures to rehabilitate them and reduce reoffending, keeping communities safe from alcohol-related harm."

If a tagged offender does consume alcohol, their probation officer can order their return to court or prison.

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