The government had announced that it is to press ahead with a new regime to monitor sex offenders.

David Blunkett says that police and probation officers should harness satellite-tracking devices and lie detection technology to monitor convicts released on licence and those given community sentences.

The home secretary gave an early indication of his plans during a "big conversation" event on Thursday and is gave further details during a trip to Sheffield with the prime minister later today.

Quizzed on the proposals, Blunkett conceded they would not be a "panacea" but would deal with the problem of monitoring the movements of violent and sex offenders.

"I think satellite tracking as part of the new supervision procedures that we laid out in the Criminal Justice and Sentencing Act would be a great safeguard, not just for sex offenders but for those repeat and prolific offenders which make our lives a misery, where serious crime is being committed," he told the Today programme.

"But we can also use satellite tracking for very minor offences where we are worried about people being on community sentences but where our jails would simply be filled up in an unnecessary fashion."

"So there is a two-ender on this one - both ends of the book, if you like - where we can use imaginative electronic means that did not exist before.

"We can try lie detectors in terms of the monitoring of sex offenders and we can link that with bringing together the sex offenders register and the violent offenders register so that we have a national computer database."

Solution?

The Conservatives welcomed the move but warned that it failed to address the underlying problem of prison overcrowding.

"Prisons now are absolutely full. He has not built enough prisons," said shadow home secretary David Davis.

Meanwhile Liberal Democrat spokesman Mark Oaten said: "We support the use of tagging and satellite tracking as a sensible use of technology which will reassure the public.

"The use of lie detectors is more problematic, and the Lib Dems will need further convincing that the technology is safe and reliable."

Detection

Following pilot tests the government believes lie detectors can be used to make sure sex offenders are not breaching the terms of their release.

Ministers may also seek to introduce lie detectors for those accused of domestic violence, it has emerged.

The move comes as ministers attempt to ensure that paedophiles and sex offenders released into the community are carefully monitored to ensure they do not reoffend.

Tagging prisoners is being seen as a way to rehabilitate offenders without holding them indefinitely in prison.

But critics on both sides have warned ministers against the move.

Local community leaders have warned that the move could lead to a backlash by residents who fear for their children's safety.

Meanwhile groups representing offenders warn that the system could result in them going underground.