Offenders such as female shoplifters should receive community sentences rather jail terms in order to cut reoffending rates and improve rehabilitation, the Liberal Democrats declared today, as they set out their mini-manifesto on crime.

Pushing a message of "tough liberalism", Charles Kennedy promoted "acceptable behaviour orders" for nuisance families - his party's alternative to antisocial behaviour orders - and promised an extra 10,000 police officers paid for by scrapping Labour's controversial ID card scheme.