A community sentence developed by the Probation Board of Northern Ireland has slashed re-offending rates by 40 per cent.

People made subject to Enhanced Combination Orders (ECOs), currently being piloted in the Ards and Armagh & South Down court areas, were less likely to re-offend.

The Probation Board was instructed by the Lord Chief Justice in May 2015 to develop the demanding community sentence as an alternative to short prison sentences of less than 12 months.

It combines community service with close supervision.

More than 170 offenders have been made subejct to an ECO so far.

Paul Doran, director of rehabilitation at the Probation Board, told BBC News: “Probation are keen to expand the scheme and, indeed, judges in the other court areas are very keen to have it.

“We will be talking to the Department of Justice in a problem-solving approach to crime, to try and identify resources to expand enhanced combination orders throughout Northern Ireland.”