THE supervision of criminals in North Yorkshire could be taken out of the Probation Service's hands, under controversial new Government plans.

But Selby MP John Grogan has vowed to help spearhead a backbench rebellion against what he says are "absurd" proposals.

He said: "They the Probation Service are keeping an eye on people who have maybe been released from jail and could be a threat to the public, and you are messing with services at your peril."

The Offender Management Bill is to go before Parliament in three weeks time, and Mr Grogan anticipates the Government's majority could be in serious doubt.

The bill proposes allowing the Home Secretary to hand certain aspects of probation work to new organisations, which could hire private companies or voluntary sector organisations.

For example, offenders told to do unpaid work are currently supervised by probation officers, but this work could be passed over to a charity or private company.

Mr Grogan said the bill proposed putting a third of the Probation Service's work out to tender.

He said probation boards would be abolished, meaning civil servants in Leeds would decide who provided probation services in North Yorkshire.

He added: "It's absurd over-centralisation."

Lord Ramsbotham, former chief inspector of prisons, has also slammed the proposals.

He said: "There are 209,000 people allegedly under probation supervision and the Probation Service is simply incapable of supervising these people.

"The idea that putting them into the hands of trusts run by businessmen who are going to be able to award contracts to the private sector or the voluntary sector is going to be able to solve the problem is cloud cuckoo land."

Mr Grogan said: "I'm worried that it could fragment the Probation Service, meaning the quality of service goes down."

Mike Ryan, assistant chief probation officer in North Yorkshire, said it was not his place to comment on the rights or wrongs of Government legislation.

He said: "This is an organisation that has been in place for 100 years, and all we can do is enact Government policy as and when it comes along, and try to provide the best services we can for the community, for offenders, and especially for the victims of crime."

He said they already worked with a lot of outside organisations from the voluntary and community sectors, such as through graffiti or litter removal projects.