BOLTON magistrates have been told to cut down on the number of teenagers they put behind bars because jails cannot cope.

Youth courts have been urged not to hand out short custodial sentences to 15 to 17-year-olds because young offenders institutes are full.

Nationwide, centres are reporting to be operating four per cent short of capacity.

A letter sent to every magistrates court in England and Wales said, where possible, teenagers should be punished with community sentences.

Figures show Bolton magistrates hand out some of the toughest sentences in the country to juveniles.

Between October 2000 and March this year, JPs put 40 teenagers behind bars.

This resulted in one person put into custody for every four given a community-based penalty.

But magistrates will now find that sending someone to a young offenders centre for two to three months is not always an option.

Bolton South-east MP Brian Iddon said he thought the situation of packed youth prisons had been caused by the current climate of people wanting to see an instant solution to teenagers causing anti-social behaviour.

He said: "A lot of pressure has been put on the government at the moment to deal with yobbish behaviour.

"But I'm concerned far too many people are being put away and after more than six months in jail are picking up more bad behaviour than on the streets.

"That is why we have prisons which are full.

"If it's a first offence I think young people should be given a custodial sentence as a last resort.

"But I think persistent young offenders should be locked up."

Young people in Bolton are currently sent to a number of secure units, all which are virtually full.

Youths on remand will be sent to Hindley Young Offenders Institute, in Wigan, those on detention will go to Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institute in Stoke.

Boys and girls aged under 15 or those who are more vulnerable will be sent to local authority secure units across the North-west, including Barton Moss, at Manchester, Dales House at Blackpool and Red Bank at St Helens.