IN 1989 the idea of electronic tagging was dropped after being branded an "expensive gimmick" by magistrates.

Since July this year, the scheme has again been under trial and is now being extended to cover a much wider area including Bolton.

We can only assume the hiccups which afflicted the scheme in the early days have been cured.

Certainly, the idea of of attaching devices to offenders who are the subject of curfew orders sounds a good one. If they move outside a prescribed area, the authorities will be alerted.

However, there have been reports of tags being taken off by offenders. We cannot imagine the Home Office has found a way to stop them doing that, and criminals who remove the devices should know they face a prison sentence.

But the tagging system is certainly worth trying again.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.