As part of a new pilot, offenders will have to use remote check-in surveillance on their mobile devices.

Offenders will be required to record short videos of themselves and use artificial intelligence to confirm their identity.

Concerning answers or attempts to deceive the AI ID matching will result in an instant red alert being sent to the Probation Service for immediate intervention.

The pilot is currently underway in four Probation regions across England – the South West, North West, East of England and Kent Surrey and Sussex.

Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, said: "This new pilot keeps the watchful eye of our probation officers on these offenders wherever they are, helping catapult our analogue justice system into a new digital age.  

"It’s bold ideas like this that are helping us tackle the challenges we face. We are protecting the public, supporting our staff, and making our streets safer as part of our Plan for Change."