THE number of youngsters getting involved in crime in Blackburn and Darwen is falling, says a new report.

Figures show a 29per cent year on year fall in the number of young people, aged 10 to 17, being caught committing crime.

In Blackburn with Darwen, there are around 17,000 young people and, during 2010 - 2011, just over 750 of those were involved in criminal activity. Of those who have been involved in offending, 30 children committed crimes so serious they were given custodial sentences.

In a report, to be presented to Blackburn with Darwen Coun-cil, the executive board will hear the number of youths re-offending has fallen for the first time because of the work of the borough’s Youth Justice Service.

A spokesman for the service said: “The principle aim of the multi-use agency Youth Justice Service is to prevent offending, and re-offending, by children and young people. It does this by assessing individual risk and need, engaging youngsters to access a range of interventions, encouraging them to take resp-onsibility, and to make amends by achieving positive changes.As a service we have created a set of aims and priorities to focus on between now and 2015.

“They include contributing to a reduction in the misuse of substances, especially alcohol, ensuring those who commit the most serious of offences receive an end-to-end service to prevent re-offending, work with families to provide better life choices, install safeguards for the most vulnerable children and put into plan activities that will reduce anti-social behaviour.”

The council is set to officially accept the plan on Thursday.