Offenders could serve out their sentence in Estonian prisons as a way of preventing overcrowding in English and Welsh prisons, according to reports.

Sky News claims that having offenders serve out their sentence in the Baltic state is one of many options being considered to address overcrowding on the prison estate.

There are thought to be just over 1,000 spaces left in prisons across England and Wales at the time of writing.

Since coming into office, Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, has warned overcrowding could lead to a breakdown in law and order if action is not taken to alleviate pressure on the system, Sky News adds.

Last month spaces were understood to have been reduced to just 100 in male prisons across England and Wales, partly as a result of sentencing related to riots around the UK that took place in the wake of the Southport stabbings.

Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle did not rule out the proposal, saying the new Labour government had "inherited an absolute crisis in our prison system with very few places remaining there".

She told Sky News: "I think that colleagues in the [Ministry of Justice] will be considering anything that they can to alleviate the problem.

"What we cannot have is people who are convicted of perhaps violent or serious crimes not being able to be in jail."

The government has already taken controversial steps to alleviate overcrowding, including allowing the early release of prisoners who have served 40% of their sentence.

Prisoners in England and Wales, apart from the most serious offenders, are usually released on licence after serving 50% of their sentence - but from this month, this will be reduced to 40%.

Magistrates were last month told to consider pushing back the sentencing of criminals because of concerns about overcrowding.

The idea of sending criminals on the British prison estate to Estonia was first floated by former justice secretary Alex Chalk.

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He told last year's Conservative Party conference that the then government under Rishi Sunak would enter exploratory discussions with countries in Europe over the possibility of renting prison space abroad.

The previous government said it would only enter into an agreement with European countries provided aspects of the prison system, including facilities and rehabilitation, matched UK standards.

It argued its policy was in line with steps taken by Belgium and Norway, which have used foreign prison places in the Netherlands in the last decade.