YOUNG offenders in the North-East are the least likely of any in the country to be locked up when they commit crime, latest figures show.

Only 6.2 per cent of all sentences handed down to criminals up to the age of 17 in the North-East result in a spell in custody.

The figure more than doubles in Yorkshire and Humberside where 12.7 per cent of sentences youths receive are custodial - the highest figure in the country.

The figures, released by the Youth Justice Board and compiled by Youth Offending Teams across the country, showed significant variations across different areas that could not be fully explained, the board said.

In the six months to September last year, 2,251 community-based punishments were given to young offenders in the North-East, compared with 150 custodial sentences.

In Yorkshire, 3,373 community penalties were given out, compared to 491 custodial sentences.

The average in England and Wales during the six-month period, in terms of the percentage of custodial sentences, was 10.7 per cent.

Rod Morgan, chairman of the Youth Justice Board, which oversees the youth justice system, said it needed to work more closely with magistrates and judges to explore sentencing trends.

The board was concerned by a ten per cent rise during the first three months of 2004 in the number of youths in custody - many awaiting sentence.

By the end of March 2004, 2,868 youths were in custody in England and Wales.

Mr Morgan said: "Custody should only be used as a last resort for those offenders who present a real risk to the public. We are convinced that community sentences best address offenders' needs and best tackle the factors underlying their offending behaviour."