Lewisham youth crime scheme to go nationwide

The Youth Crime Action Plan has operated in Lewisham for a year, alongside four other similar schemes in Lambeth, Norfolk, Derby and Oxfordshire.

The innovative works hand in hand with the local community, police, schools and voluntary groups to identify the needs of young local people and put in range of services, advice and tailor made support.

Bridget Prentice MP said: "I am putting forward another £500,000 in helping young victims of crime. Young people are more likely to experience crime than adults, and are also the least likely to report what has happened.  This can often result in them not knowing where to go to access help.

"That is why programmes like this are so important.  These pilots have already had great success, in less than one year, and demonstrate just what can be achieved when local communities, supported by government and the police, pull together to tackle the issues they face.

"Lewisham, the project I am visiting today, is a model example of how we can help keep our young people safe, help those who have been a victim of crime re-build their lives and support them so they don't turn to crime in response to being a victim.

"Now I want to encourage more communities across England and Wales to establish their own projects.  

"If the pilots continue to be successful then it is a model we must try to use elsewhere.  We have only a very basic model at the moment, and it is not necessarily to be copied, but certainly adapted.

"Nothing is perfect, but I feel we are going down the right road."