A probation service is to be visited for a second time by independent inspectors after they reported serious concerns about its assessment of offenders - particularly those who posed a high risk of re-offending.

It is the first time that the inspectors have announced a reinvestigation since their programme of inspections began last June.
The report into the Hertfordshire probation service, published yesterday, said that although a national tool for assessing offenders had been in place since last April, staff were not using it effectively.