A NEW campaign to help crack youth crime which could bring young offenders face to face with their victims is due to start next week.

The Youth Justice Mediation initiative comes into operation on Monday, August 21, in Lancashire.

It aims to bring young offenders and their victims together to talk. The project is one of the first in the country for young offenders although similar schemes in operation for adult offenders have proved successful.

Mr Rob Baldwin, who will be co-ordinating the scheme, said: "The meeting will only take place if both parties are willing.

"The idea is that the young offender makes amends by way of an apology and explanation of the offence and is helped to face up to the consequence of what they have done while the victim is able, hopefully, to put the matter behind them.

"It is a new approach and only time will tell if it is to be successful.

"However schemes such as this in America and Australia have not only helped victims overcome the trauma of the offence, but have also reduced the likelihood of the young person re-offending."

The scheme has been developed by Blackpool and Lancashire Youth Offending Teams.

"We have already trained mediators from the Burnley area ready for the launch of the project on Monday and we are ready to put the initiative into positive action."