HOME SECRETARY Jack Straw officially opened a £1million Blackburn bail hostel aimed at giving offenders a second chance to stay away from crime.

The Blackburn MP toured the purpose-built 26-bed Haworth House on St Peter Street, and chatted to residents.

The hostel is for men who are either on bail awaiting trial or sentence or already serving a community sentence, or who have been released from prison and are subject to supervision.

Haworth House is named after 90-year-old James Haworth, a former magistrate and former member of Lancashire probation committee who officially opened and named the original hostel on Preston New Road 20 years ago.

Mr Haworth travelled from his home in Cumbria for the occasion.

John Crawforth, Lancashire's chief probation officer, said: "A bail hostel is not just a home, it is a way of giving people a second chance and steering them away from drink and drugs. We have had marvellous success over the years." Mr Straw said: "The truth is that more than 99 per cent of offenders come out of prison some time and we cannot ignore what happens to them. We have got to deal with offenders and get them out of offending and into a proper structured life.

"Bail hostels are a very important part of that transition."