Criminals face pub and soccer match bans under new UK plans

24/8/2025 6:02

- Convicted criminals could

face being banned from going to the pub, music concerts and

sports events such as soccer matches under new plans by the

British government as it seeks ways to address the country's

overflowing prison crisis.



Under the new sentencing powers, judges would be able to

limit offenders' freedoms with a range of measures such as

driving limits, travel bans and confining them to certain zones,

moves which the government says will help force them "back onto

the straight-and-narrow".



"When criminals break society's rules, they must be

punished. Those serving their sentences in the community must

have their freedom restricted there too," Justice Secretary

Shabana Mahmood said.



Britain, which has western Europe's highest rate of

incarceration according to the World Prison Brief database, has

been forced to bring in measures such as releasing prisoners

early to tackle chronic overcrowding in jails.



The government said the new steps to be unveiled on Sunday

were part of wider reforms to cut crime while ensuring there

were enough places for the most dangerous offenders.



Under existing rules, judges can issue soccer match bans to

those who commit crimes inside stadiums but the law will be

changed to allow such bans to be given for any offence in any

circumstance, the government said.



Additionally, all prisoners leaving jail at the end of their

sentence and supervised by the Probation Service could face

similar restrictions as well as mandatory drug testing, rather

than just those with a history of substance misuse.



Anyone who breaks the rules risks being taken back to court

or put back in prison, the government said.