Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general, has announced an overhaul of the way defendants who skip bail are handled.
Lord Goldsmith said that "bail bandits" face a police crackdown and have their failure to turn up to court taken into account by the authorities under new government plans.
With 60,000 warrants outstanding in England and Wales, the minister said "Operation turn-up" would be crucial to providing a more efficient criminal justice system.
Government Response: Department of Constitutional Affairs
Chris Leslie, courts minister at the Department of Constitutional Affairs, said: "Compliance with court orders is not optional. Offenders appearing in court when they are ordered to is not only part of the criminal process, but also vital if the courts are to be respected.
"The blitzes, as part of Operation Turn-up, will send a clear message to anyone looking to skip bail, that the courts and the police will show that the justice system does work for the benefit of the wider public and that it can raise trust in justice through doing a good job."
Party Response: Conservative
Dominic Grieve, shadow attorney general, said: "I agree with the attorney general that we need to be tougher on offenders that skip bail.
"The question is, why has it taken the government seven and a half years to do something about this problem? I hope this announcement is followed through and is not just another headline-grabbing gimmick from the Home Office."
Stakeholder Response: Association of Chief Police Officers
Robert Taylor, assistant chief constable at the Greater Manchester Police and ACPO lead on warrants, said: "We have been working closely with our criminal justice partners on the planning of this operation, and everyone involved is committed to making sure that defendants who abscond on bail are dealt with robustly.
"Our message to defendants is clear: if you are wanted on warrant in any of our force areas, give yourself up before we come and find you."
