WITNESSES and victims in Greater Manchester are to take part in a new pilot scheme to help them prepare for court.

The initiative will involve them being interviewed by prosecutors prior to their trial, discussing their evidence and any facts that have come to light since giving their statement to the police.

It will also eliminate any unsuitable witnesses and make sure evidence given is as reliable and useful as possible.

The pilot scheme was started following the Damilola Taylor murder trial in 2002, where a key prosecution witness was shown to be unreliable.

Subsequently no one was found guilty of the murder.John Holt, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Greater Manchester, said: "This area should really benefit from this scheme, given the sheer volume of cases heard at the ten magistrates and three crown courts we have in Greater Manchester.

"I expect this pilot to produce marked improvements in convictions and lessen the burden on some witnesses.

"The extra court time this pilot will save should speed up the whole process, making justice quicker and better for victims."

Glyn Morgan, Chief Executive of Victim Support & Witness Service, said: "This pilot will mean some witnesses will not have to go through the experience of giving evidence at court.

"The Witness Service provides help and support for thousands of witnesses in Greater Manchester every year. If we can reduce the number of people who have to go through that experience I can only see benefits for both witnesses and the victims involved."