Alcohol tags designed to keep criminals sober will be rolled out throughout London after a successful pilot scheme in Croydon and Sutton.

From April courts across the capital will have the power to put an ankle bracelet on people whose crimes were influenced by alcohol.

The pilot scheme, which also took place in Lambeth and Southwark, had a 92 per cent success rate.

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The sobriety tags constantly monitor alcohol in sweat and if someone wearing the tag drinks after being given an abstinence order they could find themselves back in court again.

According to the Ministry of Justice alcohol related crime costs the taxpayer up to £13bn a year.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "Alcohol-fuelled crimes put a huge strain on frontline services, costing the taxpayer billions of pounds each year.

"From assault, to drink-driving, to theft and criminal damage, this innovative technology is driving down reoffending and proving rehabilitation does not have to mean prison.

"After such a success in south London, it’s time to roll out these tags to the rest of the capital and rid our streets of these crimes, by helping even more offenders stay off the booze and get back on the right track."

The Ministry of Justice is funding £400,000 towards the cost of taking the scheme to the whole of London and the London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime will provide £450,000.