ALMOST 250 prisoners freed early with electronic tags have been recalled to the region's jails amid fears they will commit more crimes, the Home Office has revealed.

The total of 234 recalls in 12 months means 18.6 per cent of inmates released under the controversial home detention curfew scheme had to be put back behind bars.

The percentage was even higher at three jails - Northallerton Young Offenders Institution, in North Yorkshire (27 per cent), Deerbolt Young Offenders Institution, near Barnard Castle, County Durham (23 per cent) and Acklington, in Northumberland (22 per cent).

The figures were released as Home Secretary Charles Clarke ordered tougher supervision for dangerous criminals freed on probation to prevent them reoffending.

A spate of rapes and murders by people under supervision has sparked criticism of the release of prisoners before they have served their full sentences.

Across the country, 2,597 former prisoners were recalled after release under home detention curfews last year - 15 per cent of the total.

They included 105 taken back to Northallerton, 36 to Deerbolt, 24 to Low Newton jail, in Durham, 23 to Durham Prison, and 20 to Acklington.

There were three reasons given for the recalls - a breach of the condition of a curfew; a failure to electronically monitor an ex-prisoner successfully; or a serious risk of harm.

Tory prisons spokesman Edward Garnier said yesterday: "This recall rate raises serious questions about the suitability of those being put forward for release with a tag in the first place."

Offenders given curfew orders have to stay at home for up to 12 hours a day and their movements are monitored through a tag fitted to their ankle.

About 3,000 prisoners at any one time in England and Wales serve the last four-and-a-half months of their sentence under home detention.

Typically, they have committed crimes such as burglary, fraud or theft. Sex offenders and violent criminals are not eligible for the scheme.

Tagging for 90 days is £5,200 cheaper than keeping a prisoner behind bars, but ministers have been accused of a "panic measure" to cope with soaring prison numbers.

The figures were released by Home Office Minister Fiona Mactaggart in a written Parliamentary answer to MPs.

* The Prison Officers Association conference next month will vote on whether the extendable baton should be allowed in more prisons.