Thousands of criminals recalled to prison after early release conditions

Dozens of offenders released part way through their sentences were put back behind bars every month between April 2018 and June 2019.

It comes amid heightened scrutiny of the management of dangerous criminals after it emerged London Bridge killer Usman Khan was living in Stafford while out on licence.

He had served only half his sentence for his involvement in a plot to blow up the London Stock Exchange before being let back out into the community.

Latest Government figures show that 4,763 offenders were recalled to prison over the 14-month period. Ex-prisoners can be taken back to jail if they breach their licence conditions, commit a crime or their actions raise fears they might be about to commit a crime.

Between April and June this year, the most recent data available, 1,014 offenders across the West Midlands, Staffordshire and West Mercia police force areas were taken back to prison, compared to 898 between January and March.

The Government has faced criticism from prison campaign groups for extending monitoring of released offenders to include those given sentences of less than 12 months. Critics say too many are being sent back to prison for "technical breaches".

The Probation Service, however, says its priority is the protection of the public and that "recall is used to ensure that offenders on licence who present a high risk to the public are returned to prison as quickly as possible".

The attack on London Bridge, in which two people were killed, has led to questions about which prisoners are being released on licence and what steps are being taken to ensure they do not present a risk to the public once out.

Khan was released from prison in December 2018 after serving half his sentence and was living at a bail hostel on Wolverhampton Road, Stafford where he hatched his murderous plot. His movements were monitored and it's believed he received regular visits from probation officers.

Jeremy Lefroy, the outgoing MP for Stafford, said the London Bridge attack should serve as a "wake-up call" to the Government and security services.

And Mike Wood, Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Dudey South, said: "People need to be given a second chance but it is not as important as keeping the public safe.

"Serious offenders, violent offenders and sexual offenders need to be serving the sentences they are given rather than being automatically released earlier.

"We are sometimes seeing them commit horrific crimes. No amount of supervision is as safe as keeping serious offenders in prison.

"I don't think any amount of monitoring would have kept that person from going out with kitchen knives on London Bridge. He shouldn't have been out on the streets in the first place."