YOUNG offenders could be forced to face up to their victims as part of a ground-breaking new community sentence piloted in East Lancashire.

The new Youth Offender Panels going live across the country today mean local people and victims of crime will now have a greater role in the youth justice system as young offenders will be made to account directly for their crime to the community with, where victims agree, victims and offenders meeting face to face.

Thousands of volunteers, of all ages and from all social backgrounds, have already been recruited and specially trained to sit on youth offender panels throughout England and Wales.

From today youth courts will refer young offenders who plead guilty and are convicted for the first time to youth offender panels, consisting of two volunteers from the local community and one member of the local youth offending team.

The scheme was launched in Blackburn with Darwen in the summer of 2000 and has dealt with hundreds of juvenile offenders so far.

The panel will meet with the young person, his or her family and wherever possible the victim of the crime to draw up a contract with the offender.

The contract will include a range of activities and restrictions designed to deal with offenders, prevent re-offending and repair the harm done to the victim and the wider community.

Elaine Cocking, Blackburn with Darwen Community Panel Leader, said: "Victims do play a major role in the process and their attendance at Panels changes the whole focus of discussion and outcome of the meeting. Tears are not unusual and the power that a victim has upon the young person and all others present cannot be overstated."

Launching the national roll-out of the scheme, Home Office Minister, Beverley Hughes, said: "Community involvement is immensely important in the fight against crime. The recruitment drive for volunteers, which began in October last year, has been a massive success. Thousands of volunteers have signed up to become youth offender panel members, from all walks of life.

"Involving victims is crucial if we are to make young offenders understand that there are consequences to their actions. Many young offenders don't think about the effect their crime can have on individuals and the wider community. This is a way of ensuring that victims can have their say and that offenders have to listen."

Lord Warner, chairman of the Youth Justice Board, said: "Youth Offender Panels will help us take a fresh new approach to cracking down on youth crime and we welcome their input.

"This is an all-encompassing approach to dealing with offenders who have attended court for the first time. The orders will encourage them to steer away from a life of crime."