A NORTH-EAST teenager has become the first person in the region to be voice-tagged in a bid to keep him out of trouble.
The 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will have to call the authorities at set times each day to make sure that he is obeying his bail conditions.
The youth, from Sunderland, allegedly hit a woman with a hammer. He was conditionally bailed by magistrates, subject to him agreeing to be voice-tagged.
The system, known as VoiceTrack, has undergone trials in Manchester and the Midlands. A sample of the person's voice is taken, and, when they call authorities, they must repeat a series of numbers.
If tagged people call from the wrong place, or get someone to mimic their voice, it is picked up.
A police officer is notified within three minutes.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article