A PROJECT dealing with young offenders has halved the number of youths passing through some of the region's courts.

A team of Government inspectors ran the rule over Durham County Council's Youth Engagement Service - formerly its Youth Offending Service.

And their report, published last week, praises the service and its partners for halving the number of young people who have admitted or been convicted of crime over the past five years.

The inspection team, including specialists from education, social services, the police, probation, health and prisons services and the Audit Commission, said the county's project is one of the most effective in the UK.

The report describes the service as dynamic and innovative, and as "addressing the needs of the community".

Singled out for praise was its exceptional performance in preventing re-offending, and its record of working with parents and with victims of crime.

The multi-agency service, which has 150 staff and 75 volunteers, works with young people, victims and families to help to create safer communities by engaging with young people and enabling them to use their leisure time constructively.

It helps young people to develop key skills, such as literacy, numeracy, ICT, working with others and problem solving. The inspection team found that young people felt listened-to and supported and showed a positive change in attitude which resulted in them becoming more considerate towards others and willing to find better ways to occupy themselves.

Parents, too, were satisfied with the programmes they had attended through the Youth Engagement Service, and many of them said it had helped them to cope better with their children.

More than 95 per cent of victims of youth crime also expressed satisfaction with interventions provided by the service.

Christina Blythe, head of the service, said: "We believe that engaging with young people in this way is the most effective way to prevent offending or re-offending and thereby creating safer communities.

"This twin-track approach of engagement and enforcement has been recognised by the inspectors and confirms that prevention is better than cure."

Chief Supt Eric Suddes, head of Community Justice for Durham Constabulary, said: "The progress made in tackling youth offending is reaping benefits across County Durham and is a notable success for all the agencies involved.