A SCHEME to combat youth crime on a troubled estate has been so successful that Jack Straw is to use it as a blueprint for a national programme. The Youth Works project as seen youth nuisance on the Roman Road estate reduced by 95 per cent while vandalism has been cut by 60 per cent.

The Home Secretary got a chance to see for himself how peace has been restored to the estate which once had the highest juvenile nuisance figures in the area.

Mr Straw said: "One of the aims of Youth Works is to help stop young people drifting into crime.

"From the figures I have been shown it seems that this has been successful on this estate.

"I have been very impressed by what I have seen and the project will be included in the forthcoming White Paper on Youth Justice."

Today groups of youngsters, once notorious for the vandalism and chaos caused, design and help build play areas and are currently working on murals and sculptures to brighten up the estate.

Blackburn is one of five Youth Works initiatives in the country which help communities regain 'ownership' of their housing estates by shaping the physical and social environment. It encourages residents to raise expectations of themselves and also provide them with access to skills and employment opportunities., and there has been a significant reduction in crime.

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