Driving down crime with a scheme that tracks criminals using specialised GPS devices has won a Hertfordshire police team a public service award.

Police and Crime Commissioner Councillor David Lloyd presented the Hertfordshire Horizons team with the Public Services Award on Monday.

The team launched the GPS trail scheme - which involves offenders wearing a GPS tracking device - last April.

Since it began, the offence rate of the 200 most prolific offenders in Hertfordshire dropped by 41 per cent, with 70 staying crime-free altogether.

Speaking at the awards ceremony at Hertfordshire Police’s headquarters on Monday, Councillor Lloyd said: “I want to see innovation across the criminal justice system to put victims of crime at the centre of everything we do.

“I am proud to be associated with such an innovative and effective team that is making real strides in helping offenders give up a life of crime and reducing the number of victims.

“One of my key aims is the rehabilitation of criminals to stop them from re-offending once they are released from prison.”