Pub, concert and sport bans proposed under new sentencing powers

The plans, which would apply in England and Wales, give judges the power to pass tougher community sentences

Criminals could be banned from pubs, concerts and sports grounds under new plans (PA)

Convicted criminals could be banned from going to the pub, music concerts and sports events under new plans to give judges power to pass tougher community sentences.

Under the new sentencing powers to be unveiled on Sunday, offenders could face limits on driving, travel bans and restriction zones confining them to specific areas.

Those who break the conditions could then face being dragged back in front of a judge and given a tougher punishment.

Similar restrictions could also apply to prisoners let out on licence, while mandatory drug testing will also be expanded to cover all those released.

Courts already have the power to impose conditions on certain sentences, such as banning football hooligans from grounds, but the new measures, which would apply in England and Wales, would allow them to be imposed for any offence.

The country's overflowing prison crisis led the government to explore alternatives to custody.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (PA)

"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.

“These new punishments should remind all offenders that, under this Government, crime does not pay.

“Rightly, the public expect the Government to do everything in its power to keep Britain safe, and that’s what we’re doing.”

Prison population of England and Wales (PA)

The government will bring forward legislation for the new powers, which will be monitored by probation officers.

Courts will be able to hand out the conditions to criminals given community or suspended sentences, while probation officers will be able to set them as part of the terms for offenders on licence.

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 were part of wider reforms to cut crime while ensuring there were enough places for the most dangerous offenders.