PERSISTENT young offenders in Cumbria are to be targeted as part of a hard hitting new scheme to lower youth crime levels in the region.

The big-brother'-style approach will force offenders, aged between ten to 17, to comply with tough measures, including curfews, electronic tagging and two surveillance checks each day.

The new scheme, called the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) comes after government figures showed that, nationally, 25 per cent of the total youth crime is caused by the same three per cent of young offenders.

The ISSP aims to provide an individually-structured programme for a minimum of 25 hours a week to address the underlying needs of young offenders.

Following successful pilot schemes across the country, the programme was introduced to the region in October 2003 by Cumbria Youth Offending Team.

Coun John Mallinson, Cumbria County Council's Cabinet spokesman for Care and Social Services said: "The Intensive Surveillance Programme is an essential element in Cumbria's efforts to ensure that we have a safe and productive society."

"Through targeting the county's most serious and prolific offenders we are confident that this approach will reduce the risk of offending.

"Cumbria Youth Offending Team will work with these young people to enhance their opportunities to become law-abiding citizens."

At the same time, through challenging and monitoring young offenders' behaviour, we hope to ensure that people will feel well protected and re-assured."

The programme provides an individually-structured timetable for young offenders for a minimum of 25 hours a week to address their underlying needs.

Young people are deemed suitable for the course if they have a history of persistent offending or if they commit a serious offence for which an adult would spend more than 14 years in prison.

Project Coordinator Rob Cartner stressed that the programme was not "a soft option" and that the ISSP had already been very successful in preventing the 16 young people involved from re-offending.

He added that many of the young people taking part had returned to education or had obtained college and training places since beginning the course.

Mr Cartner said: "There has been a huge reduction in re-offending through the scheme. It is the best alternative to sending them to prison for short period."