Issue 442  21st March 2026

Dangerous criminals will be live tracked using real-time surveillance and receive more intense supervision as part of a greater focus on the most high-risk offenders. The biggest expansion of tagging in British history will mean thousands of extra domestic abusers, thieves and burglars across the country will face tough GPS and alcohol monitoring in a major £100 million crackdown on crime. Frontline probation staff will also be given access to cutting-edge technology allowing instant access to the location of certain tagged offenders, which will help to identify escalating risk and allow for earlier interventions.

In a boost for victims, a £5 million pilot will introduce proximity monitoring technology that creates an alert when offenders convicted of crimes such as domestic abuse and stalking approach their victim – a key commitment from the Government’s landmark strategy to end violence against women and girls. These changes are backed by an investment in probation of up to £700 million by 2028/29, which includes the recruitment of at least 1,300 extra probation officers in the next year, and will help ensure tougher monitoring of violent offenders to better keep the public safe. To further increase public protection and cut crime, a reinforced probation workforce will focus more of their time on prolific offenders and ramp up the face-to-face monitoring of those who pose the biggest risk to the public – such as terrorists, murderers and prolific sex offenders...

Football fans who try to enter grounds without a ticket will face lengthy banning orders and hefty fines under strict new laws that come into force this weekend. The government and authorities have teamed up as part of the clampdown on ‘tailgating’ – where supporters force their way through stadium turnstiles by staying closely behind legitimate ticket holders. Bespoke new laws will be in place from Sunday ahead of the Carabao Cup Final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley. The national stadium was the scene of serious disorder at the Euro 2020 Final as thousands of ticketless hooligans smashed their way in using this tactic.

The new act makes it illegal to enter a football match without a ticket, stopping tailgating and forced entry to keep fans and matchday staff safe. It will also be illegal to knowingly attempt to gain entry using forged tickets, passes and accreditation documents, or by posing as a member of stadium or playing staff. Until now, there were no specific legal penalties for entering a football match without a ticket – a gap this act firmly closes. Offenders will be arrested and face a football banning order of up to 5 years – preventing repeat offenders for jeopardising public safety – and a fine of up to £1,000...

Waste criminals could soon face police-style powers as the government steps up its crackdown on the crime. Under a new zero-tolerance approach, the government is looking to expand powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) as well as the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) and other legislation to the Environment Agency and its enforcement officers. This would allow officers to intervene earlier, bring more criminals to justice and hit the organised gangs behind illegal waste where it hurts by disrupting their finances. The move would make the Environment Agency one of a few organisations with these powers – a clear signal that waste crime is being treated as a serious organised crime...

From July 2024 to the end of 2025, the Environment Agency secured 122 prosecutions, leading to 10 immediate custodial sentences, and shut down 1,205 illegal waste sites. Under new legislation, waste criminals caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally will face up to five years in prison. Waste crime costs the economy £1 billion every year, with the criminal networks behind this criminality becoming increasingly sophisticated and causing serious harm to communities and the environment...

Litter louts trashing our high streets, roads and community spaces could face losing their driving licences, as the government considers plans to step up the fight against waste crime. With most fly tips being around the same size as the back of a small van, the government is looking at measures to award penalty points on driving licences for those found guilty of fly-tipping – which could lead to them losing their licences altogether. This would make it harder for offenders to continue dumping illegally if they are disqualified from driving and send a clear warning that fly-tipping is not tolerated...

Driving licence holders can be disqualified from driving if they build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of 3 years... Convicted fly-tippers can already face heavy fines, community sentences or prison...

New government investment will enable women’s centres and charities across the country to deliver vital specialist help to female offenders, the overwhelming majority of whom are themselves victims of crime. The multi‑year package represents a 50 per cent increase in funding to help women get clean, find work and accommodation, and move away from abusive relationships. This support is key to cutting crime with evidence showing how more than two‑thirds of women in custody report being victims of domestic abuse, a factor which is a known indicator of crimes. Further statistics show how more than half of female offenders have sustained brain injuries while roughly the same percentage have drug addictions. Tackling these underlying issues and addressing the root causes of crime helps to prevent more victims and reduce the £18 billion overall cost of reoffending to the taxpayer...

A new law comes into effect today (18 March) that will see farm animals in England and Wales get stronger protection from dog attacks. The maximum penalty for livestock worrying has increased. Livestock worrying, occurs when a dog you own or are in charge of chases, attacks, or causes distress to livestock on agricultural land. The aim is to prevent livestock death and injury, which will save farmers thousands of pounds each year. The fine has increased from £1,000 to an unlimited fine and police now have powers to seize and detain a dog where they have reasonable grounds to believe it has attacked or worried livestock and that there is a risk it could do so again...

The police will now have greater powers and can investigate incidents more effectively. These powers include entering premises to secure evidence or animal DNA. Alongside this, courts will also be able to require offenders to cover the costs of seizing and caring for a detained dog...

A grieving widow has been convicted over an unpaid £35 car tax bill on her deceased husband’s vehicle, a "slip-up" that occurred just weeks after his passing. The 51-year-old woman was pursued by the DVLA after failing to pay the £35.84 vehicle tax for her late husband’s Jaguar, which came into her possession last July. In her defence, she wrote a letter explaining that she does not drive, has never owned a car, and the oversight happened while she was in mourning and making funeral arrangements. However, her detailed account of the circumstances was not enough to prevent a criminal conviction. The case was brought through the controversial fast-track Single Justice Procedure (SJP) courts, leading to the ruling against her...

The widow, from near Chesterfield in Derbyshire, entered a guilty plea in writing, and was sentenced by magistrate Dawn Towart to a six-month conditional discharge with an order to pay £85 in costs and the £35.84 car tax bill. The magistrate opted to convict the woman and pass sentence rather than refer the case back to the DVLA to check if the prosecution remained in the public interest...

The Government conducted a consultation on possible changes to the system, but has not taken any action in the year that has passed since it sought views on reform. At her annual press conference on Tuesday, Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr was asked how the public can have confidence in the work of magistrates in the Single Justice Procedure, when hearings are conducted behind closed doors instead of in open court, and it has a habit of regularly producing convictions for extremely vulnerable people over unpaid household bills. She revealed that a top judge has conducted a “nuts and bolts” review of the SJP system in the wake of concerns about how it was operating. She did not reveal the results of the audit and said decisions on the way the system itself operates are for politicians to answer, but stated: “The judges are applying the law as it applies”...