Allowing young offenders to leave jail early if they serve the remainder of their sentence in the armed forces could provide the right conditions to turn them into law-abiding citizens, a Dorset MP has suggested.

Conservative MP Richard Drax suggested that some 'struggling young' who find themselves in jail could benefit from being given the option to opt out of the second half of their sentence if they are willing to serve the remaining time in the military.

The former Army officer said it was 'not a catch-all' but 'just an idea'.

The MP for south Dorset was speaking in the Commons as MPs debated the second reading of the Sentencing Bill.

He said: “Only recently I advocated, much to the sneering of the opposite benches, national service for those who need a hand up.

“Now, for example, this is perhaps where a 50%… could be used, so a young person who is serving a sentence for say three or four years, if behaving properly, could be offered, at the halfway point, two more years in jail, or two years in the armed forces.

“I have trained young men myself for two years, and it’s surprising how easy it was to turn the rudderless, often, into fine young soldiers who we were proud to serve with and, if necessary, die with.

“In many cases the family unit is so broken that the state should step in, a move as a Conservative I instinctively disagree (with) unless the circumstances are exceptional. And I feel nowadays in some cases they are.

“And for many of our struggling young, all they need – and I have seen it – is leadership, discipline, and a structure to operate in to turn them into law-abiding citizens.

“This is not rocket science.”