ALMOST 1,800 minor crimes in East Lancashire have been solved by the offender apologising and 'making amends' instead of being prosecuted, it has been revealed.

Police said the 'restorative justice' approach was proving a vital tool in the fight against 'low-level behaviour', although some critics believe it to be a 'soft option'.

Sanctions range from apologies to the offender making pledges to curb their future behaviour.

Although also used with adults, the average age of those hit with the sanction is 14, with three quarters being male.

Across Lancashire, between April 2008 and April 2009, the main types of offences dealt with were criminal damage (49 per cent), theft (35.5 theft) and low level assault (13.5 per cent).

Police believe the approach can prevent youngsters becoming career criminals, as well as not 'un-necessarily' criminalising young people.

But critics said the jury was out on whether police had moved 'too far away from punishment and deterrent'.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that in the last 20 months, police in East Lancashire have used restorative justice 1,742 times.

The stats mean Lancashire Constabulary is one of the country's leaders of the approach since it was introduced across the force in September 2007.

Some of the resolutions include apologies by:

• An eight-year-old boy who brought a BB gun into his primary school
• Hoax 999 callers to ambulance service
• A three-year-old for playing with water pistols and football in street.

Others were made to pledge:

• ‘Never pick up a stone again’ after vandalism
• Not to urinate in public
• Not to stop buses 'by throwing himself in front of them’.

Out of the hundreds offered across Eastern and Pennine, 304 have been declined.

Reasons include it being ‘pointless’, according to school governors faced with a bill for criminal damage.

Some victims did not feel able to face their foe, while others insist on charges being brought.

But police said many worked, with police, parents, 'harmed and harmer' coming to a flexible solutions to suit all parties.

Lancashire Constabulary’s restorative justice project manager Anita Cole said it was far from a ‘soft-option’.

“There is a psychological effect when someone has to look the person in the eye that they’ve harmed," she said.

"The process seeks to connect feelings with actions, getting the offender to tap into feelings of shame and remorse.

“RJ is not necessarily a quick way of dealing with an incident. I is a hands-on process which seeks to solve the problem at the root cause."

A significant percentage of ‘apologies’ are borne out of calls to the police which some would regard as frivolous. Amongst the hundreds of cases the Lancashire Telegraph has seen, one solution was for the thief to regularly visit a pet ferret they stole from its owner.

But Ms Cole said: “Once something is reported to us, we have to deal with it."

Justice Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw said restorative justice could be used ‘hand-in-hand’ with a tougher stance on anti-social behaviour.

Mr Straw said: “Sometimes, if the offence is relatively minor to the victim, a graduated approach is very sensible, but if it’s obviously serious, then weigh in heavily and at once with the police and authorities.

“I’ve seen it in operation, the perpetrator really squirming, ceasing to be a cocky, self-obsessed individual thinking they are the victim."

But the approach did not work for Ian McPhee.

His sister failed to buy a headstone for their dead mother within the year-long deadline set to make amends for taking money from her bank account.

Police said there was no action they could take to make her comply.

Mr McPhee said: “I think it needs more threat of punishment if the criminal doesn’t do what is agreed. In my experience it didn’t work.”

Conservative councillor Geoff Driver, the leader of Lancashire County Council, said the 'jury was out', adding: "I remain to be convinced that just saying sorry for what you have done, rather than what people would regard as a proper punishment, is not a soft option.

“For the past hundred years or so, punishments handed out have had two elements, punishment and deterrent, and we seem to have moved too far away from that."

John O’Reilly, the chairman of Lancashire Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said restorative justice helped cut down paperwork and bring 'closure' to victims.

He said: “From what I have been told by colleagues out and about, it is a hit with the cops."

THE Lancashire Telegraph asked the police for details of all its restorative justice cases.

And here are some of the more eye-catching resolutions revealed under the Freedom of Information Act:.

• A man agreed not to kerb crawl for prostitution or loiter in red light district.

• A patient at Royal Blackburn Hospital must not make inappropriate remarks of sexual nature to female staff and fellow patients.

• Students videoing happy slapping incidents required to join a film club to put their ‘talents and skills to good use’.

• A pupil must never bring in joke tablets which give the appearance of heavy bleeding from the mouth.

• A six-year-old boy’s family must pay compensation after he damaged a girl’s shoe.

• A pupil who stole £10 from school to buy chocolate was made to reimburse the teacher.

• Offenders made to promise not to repeat their behaviour after a dispute over a sandwich from a cafe.

• A child told not to use a catapult to fire toffees into aggrieved’s yard.

• Noisy neighbours forced to use a spa bath instead of a vibrating chair, turn the TV down and sing karaoke only in the day in an ongoing neighbour dispute.

• Two boys fighting each other must address issues through kick-boxing.

• Those responsible have to wash off sexually offensive graffiti drawn in mud on a house.

• Youths who broke town centre nativity crib have to verbally apologise to town council .

• House chores for a 17-year-old after a row with their stepmother.

• A pupil must go to a quiet room to calm down in future after punching the headteacher on several occasions.

• Offender must remove a photo and derogatory comment from BeBo.

• A 10-year-old must clean dad’s car for stealing from parents and brothers.

• Children disciplined for putting inflammatory comments about school on YouTube.

• A lollipop man and schoolboy agree on friendly greetings in future after altercation.

• Neighbours agree on sites of bird feeders after a row about their location close to caravans.

• A person must apologise for removing two tulips from front garden.

• £100 insurance excess paid for damaging farmer’s tractor.

• Road rage punch-up parties both agree to ‘take a step back in future’.

• Salvation Army agree to create a smoking area after complaints about anti-social behaviour from its residents.

• A boy was made to apologise after exposing his boxer shorts to a class full of pupils.