A NEW Youth Offending Team is being introduced into Little Hulton, Walkden, Worsley and Boothstown this week.

The Salford-based team aims to bring together health, education, police and the local authority in a multi-agency approach.

Members want to tackle the causes of crimes committed by offenders as young as 10.

They have a string of new powers to help them do that, some of which come into force this month, and others to be introduced later in the year.

These include detention orders, which make the offender serve part of the sentence in custody and part on licence, and reparation orders where the offender has to meet his victim.

The Team will work with offenders and their families providing not only support, but a parenting programme.

This will offer advice and training for parents dealing with difficult children who commit offences.

Swinton supermarket, Safeway, has become the latest body to join forces with the Team.

Safeway supervisor, Pat Worrall assisted the Team by tackling the problem posed by a 13-year-old shoplifter.

She joined a face-to-face meeting with the teenager in an attempt to put him straight about the cost of offending.

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