The Home Office has launched an urgent review of one of its leading security providers after an investigation uncovered claims that tagged paedophiles are going unmonitored.
Group 4 Securicor Justice Services Ltd (G4S) is being investigated after a BBC documentary alleged dozens of tagged offenders go unmonitored every week because of faulty equipment and poor management.
The film, from the BBC's Inside Out team, focused on G4S's operation in the East Midlands, where more than 1,000 offenders are kept off the streets through electronic tagging.
Using hidden microphones and cameras the reporter recorded G4S staff claiming openly that convicted paedophiles and a killer were walking around unmonitored.
One staff member claimed: "I've got three paedophiles walking around not monitored."
Another added: "That's good is it? You think this company is doing good? It's c***.
"I tell you what, I wish the papers would get to know about it because it would shut them down within months."
Footage also shows instances of offenders going "missing" from the monitoring system because the equipment has lost signal.
"All those times it (the Home Monitoring Unit) is on missing status it isn't recording what they are doing," another staff member claimed.
"We don't know, we cannot retrieve the information. We don't know what they're doing. They could have been in Barbados for a week while it is on missing status, we wouldn't know."
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: "Public protection is the Government's first priority. The findings of this programme are of concern. We are reviewing the contract.
