LOCAL communities will soon have an influence on the punishment of first-time young offenders in their area.

Lancashire's Youth Offending Team is currently looking to recruit volunteers from Hyndburn to sit on a youth offender panel which will decide the fate of offenders who are 10 to 17 years old.

The panels which will take effect across England and Wales from April 1 aim to make first time offenders who plead guilty take responsibility for their actions and pay something back to either their victim directly or the wider community.

This could include a youth who caused vandalism to a person's personal property having to repair the damage or someone that sprayed graffiti in a park having to clean up litter in that area.

This scheme has already been piloted by Blackburn with Darwen Youth Offending Team during the last 18 months but will come into effect throughout the country in the coming months.

The magistrate will make a referral order, which was provided for in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 and enacted by the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000, to send the youth to the panel.

Then two volunteers, a member of the youth offending team, and the youth's parents will meet to decide a series of activities for the young offender to complete as part of their "pay back" for the offence.

It will also be possible for the victim of the offence to attend the meeting and speak to the young offender and their parents about how the crime has effected them and the consequences of the youth's actions.

The victim would also be entitled to suggest what should happen to the youth.