A leading charity has supported plans for the electronic tagging of people suffering from dementia.

The Alzheimer's Society believe tagging would enable sufferers to lead a fuller life, as they would be able to make trips alone, as well as helping families to care for patients for longer.

The tags use satellite tracking systems similar to those used for criminals and could be used to locate patients who have got lost.

The group says many dementia sufferers have the urge to walk, with almost half getting disorientated and lost when they wander off, which is distressing to themselves and their families.

Neil Hunt, from the Society said: "There is a careful balance to strike between empowering people and restricting their movement and this technology can certainly never be used as an alternative for high-quality dementia care."

There are currently about 700,000 people in the UK with dementia and a high number of those have the Alzheimer's disease.

That figure is set to rise to more than one million in 20 years and to 1.7 million by 2050.

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