A NUMBER of East Lancashire prisoners are to be allowed home during the week in a bid to stop them re-offending.

The criminals will only be held at Kirkham Open Prison, near Preston, at weekends as part of a national pilot scheme announced yesterday by the Home Office.

Full details are yet to be revealed, but the prisoners chosen to take part will be serving short sentences for minor crimes and are not thought to pose a risk to the public.

Home Secretary David Blunkett announced provisional plans for the scheme, due to start on January 26, as he unveiled radical reforms of the prison and probation services, which are being joined together.

Kirkham, which takes in many criminals from East Lancashire, is the only one in the country to participate in the scheme with regard to male convicts.

A prison in Lincolnshire is undertaking the pilot with women prisoners.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: "The prisoners will be at home during the week under probation service supervision and in custody at weekends.

"This is to counteract negative results of short periods in prison, such as loss of accommodation and family break-ups, which are factors which contribute to re-offending.

"It is likely to be prisoners who have been given short sentences and are not a danger to the community."