The government is planning a massive increase in the use of fines for offenders.

The move is an attempt to slow a projected rise in prison numbers from 73,000 now, to 93,000 by 2009.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "David Blunkett's answer to over-crowding is to reduce number of people going to prison by giving them fines for certain crimes. However, currently one in three fines are not collected today and a staggering £276 million is outstanding in owed fines."

Forum Response: GMB

Mick Graham, GMB's public services national secretary, said, "These reforms are a triple whammy for chief probation officers. Not only will they have to maintain the existing service, they will be expected to implement the new structure - while at the same time worrying about the impact of these fundamental reforms on their own jobs and career prospects.

"At no stage have our members or their trade union been consulted about these proposals, there wasn't even a Green Paper, and this is yet another Government slap in the face for highly trained and highly committed public servants."

"No-one is more committed to crime reduction and the rehabilitation of offenders than our members who work in the service.

"Yet the government repays them with job insecurity, constant reorganisation and even fails to consult them on changes that will affect every aspect of their working lives."