Lancashire folk are being urged to get more involved with justice.

As part of national Inside Justice Week, the Lancashire Criminal Justice Board is encouraging locals to become magistrates.

Magistrates or Justices of the Peace (JPs) are volunteers who deal with around 95 per cent of criminal cases in England and Wales.

You need to be able to commit at least 26 half-days per year to sit in court and must be aged 18 or over.

Full training is provided and duties include determining whether a defendant is guilty or not; passing the appropriate sentence; deciding on requests for remand in custody; dealing with applications for bail and committing more serious cases to the Crown Court.

For further information, call Lorraine Edgar on 01772 272820 or email lancs.advisorycommittee@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk.

The closing date for applications is November 28.