Alex has announced that thousands of offenders on community and suspended sentences will no longer be able to secretly change their name as part of tough new rules to protect the public.
The change will mean all offenders and youth criminals will have to notify their probation officer about any name changes, online aliases or changes to contact details.
Offenders who refuse to comply could be taken back to court facing a tougher sentence, including possible prison time.
Alex said:
“Deceitful offenders should never be able to hide from justice and any offender that tries to do this will be punished.
“Our number one priority is public protection so it is vital that our probation officers have all the information they need to keep a watchful eye on offenders – whether that be online or in real life.”