A GROUND breaking scheme for dealing with young offenders is to be piloted in Blackburn and Darwen.

The borough is one of six areas in the country to be hand picked by the Government to test out the new policies.

Under the new scheme Youngsters will be handed a referral order on their first appearance in court.

The orders come in three parts and are designed to make juveniles think about the crime they have committed.

The referral orders will be handed out automatically to anyone appearing in the youth courts unless the crime is serious enough to warrant imprisonment.

The new orders can last anything between three and 12 months and will be enforced by a panel of expert workers.

If young offenders complete the order successfully the conviction will then be considered spent.

Offenders will not only be faced with the consequences of their actions but also forced to make reparations to their victims.

Blackburn has a history of piloting youth schemes and recently tested the Narey Project which was adopted nationwide. The system was designed to speed up the youth court process and was hailed a huge success.

The new system will be managed by the police, council officials, social workers and probation officers.

Chief Inspector Mike Gledhill of Blackburn police said: "We are very pleased to have been chosen by the Home Office for this new scheme.

"We already have a lot of experience working in partnerships in this field and this shows we are starting to build on that experience."

Home Office minister Charles Clarke said: "The referral order will tackle young offending in line with the three principles of restorative justice - making restoration to the victim; taking responsibility for criminal acts and reintegrating the offender back into the community."

He added: "By helping young offenders understand the distressing consequences of their actions, we aim to ensure they take responsibility for them.

"And by developing a programme of meaningful activity we aim to make their first court appearance also their last."

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