A SCHEME to encourage more people from ethnic minority communities to become magistrates has been launched in Burnley.

Five people from the town's ethnic minority communities have been chosen to shadow magistrates for six months.

They will learn about what they do and how the court works.

They will then act as ambassadors for the magistracy, talking to people within their community about what they have learned.

It is also hoped that the participants will apply to become magistrates themselves.

Simon Woolley, from Operation Black Vote, which has launched the scheme in partnership with the Department for Constitutional Affairs, formerly the Lord Chancellor's Department, said: "The shadowing scheme aims to address an imbalance.

"It is about creating an institution where everyone has a sense of belonging and a feeling that they are going to be treated fairly."

He said the people chosen would have two mentor magistrates who they will shadow for six months to learn what it is like to be a magistrate and how the court works.

"They will then take the information back to their communities and will, hopefully, break down the perception that you have to be a retired school master or a member of the Conservative club to become a magistrate.

"These people will become community ambassadors for the magistracy."

A massive recruitment drive to find the participants was held in Burnley last year.

It resulted in 50 people applying for the five places on the scheme.

Mr Woolley added: "One of the things that marked the candidates out was that they were committed to social justice and committed to our institutions.

"I think they will be real stars because they will be telling minority communities that they must play a full and positive role in all areas of government and decision making."