BOLTON'S MPs have slammed new sentencing guidelines for youth courts which describe crimes such as shoplifting and vandalism as being of "low seriousness".

The Judicial Studies Board recently sent out a reference book to the country's 10,000 lay magistrates and 100 district judges in a bid to get a consistency of sentencing for the under 17s.

They place crimes into low, medium and high seriousness categories and suggest that magistrates should discharge young offenders who commit low rated crimes and who they believe will not re-offend.

Sentences suggested for those who could re-offend are fines and paying compensation.

Crimes rated as not very serious include vandalism, stealing from shops, making obscene phone calls, being drunk and disorderly, possessing class B and C drugs, air weapons offences and careless driving.

But local MPs Brian Iddon and David Crausby, who have been appalled at the behaviour of some young people in the borough in recent times, have hit out at the guidelines and are calling for the Judicial Studies Board to look again at sentencing advice.

"If a young person goes shoplifting they should be punished," said Bolton South-east MP Brian Iddon.

He stressed that the Government is currently having a debate about sentencing policy and hopefully the guidelines can be amended.

"In my view I don't think these crimes are low seriousness," added Bolton North-east MP David Crausby. "And I am sure as far as the victims are concerned they are not."

He added that he is concerned that letting youths off with discharges for such crimes will have a bad affect on police morale.

"There isn't much point them working hard to catch these criminals when they are not treated seriously," he said.

He is pressing the Judicial Studies Board to think again.

"I think they should have another look at it and take more account of victims' views, which in my opinion are not taken enough note of," he said.

But Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly believes that the guidance for magistrates is "rightly aimed to ensure there is a proportionate response to the seriousness and persistence of the offending."

She stressed that as well as the seriousness of the Crime, magistrates also have to take into account other factors such as previous record, offences while on bail, associated offences, the impact on the victim and the risk of re-offending when deciding a sentence.

"Ultimately the court must exercise judgement on the type and length of sentence," she said.

Parts of Bolton have been plagued by youths committing crimes rated as low seriousness.

Earlier this month Tonge ward councillors wrote to the police demanding more action after they were flooded with calls from residents in Tonge Moor and Tong Fold whose lives were being made a misery by youths vandalising property and creating a nuisance.

Tonge Moor Health Centre doctor Stuart Shaw has even taken to going to work in tracksuit and trainers so he can chase and catch yobs who have attacked the surgery, vandalised cars and fired air rifles at a nearby church.

Two months ago a gang of youths visiting a children's home in Le Gendre Street, Tonge Moor, made life so unbearable for neighbours that they decided to move home.

And only weeks ago local councillors were horrified when they viewed a video of a teenage girl attacking a Polish pensioner's home in Battenberg Road, pelting it with stones and repeatedly kicking the door.

But the magistrates' guidelines, contained in the new Youth Court Benchbook, have been supported by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine.

He said the principal aim of the youth courts must be to prevent young people committing further crimes.

"This will make our communities safer places in which to live and work and prevent young people declining into a life of crime," he said.