YOUTH crime across Hampshire is being tackled more comprehensively than ever before. In the first of our week-long look at the work of the Wessex Youth Offending Trust (YOT), Sarah Cole reports on a unique education programme which is helping to stop Hampshire's young car criminals in their tracks - the Forward Gear scheme...

THE photographs are gruesome - and deliberately so. Shocking images from road crashes around the country are shown to young motor offenders in a bid to hammer home the potential consequences of their crimes.

There is blood and gore, crumpled car wreckage and crushed drivers - real pictures of real accident scenes.

The distressing photos are part of a unique programme designed by the Wessex Youth Offending Team (YOT) specifically for young car criminals.

Although other schemes exist around the country, Hampshire's is the only one that concentrates on the impact of vehicle crime on victims and the community, as well as education about safer driving.

Forward Gear was devised by Steve Morrison, Wessex YOT's operational manager for South West Hampshire, who came up with the idea after noticing increasing numbers of youngsters committing motoring offences.

Steve, based at Wessex YOT's offices in Harefield, Southampton, said: "Several years back I was working in Basingstoke, and I noticed an increase in the number of young people who were getting into car crime.

"There didn't seem to be any special programme in the area that was going to tackle it, and nationally most of what was around was under-the-bonnet stuff.

"I wanted to look at something different, a more cognitive approach, so I designed a programme about the consequences of motoring offences for the victim and the wider community."

With help from Phil Beck, operational manager for Wessex YOT's Southampton team, a programme was devised for motoring offenders between the age of 15 and 17.

The project catered for every young person who had committed vehicle crime offences - from someone scraping their keys down the sides of a car to someone coming out of custody, having served time for causing death by dangerous driving.

Since then the scheme has gone from strength to strength, now consisting of 15 modules which are run over a three-month period.

Topics covered include criminal damage, taking without consent, types of road user, safe driving, driving under the influence of drink or drugs and motor arson.

There are also sessions on document offences such as not having tax, MOT or a licence, how to apply for a driving licence, the Highway Code and careers in the motor industry.

Guest speakers from the police, fire service, ambulance service and other organisations also visit for some parts of the programme.

The scheme is designed for young people who are placed on final warnings, community orders and custodial sentences.

After initial assessment, youngsters are referred to particular parts of Forward Gear targeted to address their offending behaviour.

Each module uses a variety of exercises in which young people learn about the consequences of their behaviour and ways in which re-offending may be prevented.

Youngsters are made to talk about their offending, sharing the experiences and discussing the "buzz" they got and looking at the effects on their victims.

Material used by Steve and Phil includes an inter-active CD-ROM, videos, board games, role play and accident reconstruction exercises.

"We use quite graphic photos to demonstrate where their car crime can lead them," said Steve. "It is the right time to be getting through to them as many of them will be looking at legally driving before long.

"We get them out in cars to think about what is good driving and what is bad driving. A lot of these young people want to work with cars, so we get local employers to come in and talk to them. It is a comprehensive approach."

The Forward Gear programme has been running in Southampton for four years, although last year the team took time out to re-evaluate progress so far.

Results have been encouraging. Of the 110 young people who have been through the scheme, fewer than 20 per cent have re-offended.

Steve said: "A lot of the young people just want to leave us behind, but some do keep in touch.

"One success story was a lad who went through the programme, got his driving licence and went on to get a career as a mechanic. It is nice to hear of successes like that."

FACTFILE:

A total of 96 young people were convicted of vehicle theft across Southampton during 2002. Last year, the number had fallen to 85 - a drop of 11.5 per cent.

Around 110 young people have been through the Forward Gear programme, only 23 of whom have re-offended.

Forward Gear is designed specifically for the education and rehabilitation of young people who have committed motor offences.

It aims to address motor offending and related issued through a series of modules that can be delivered in a group environment or on an individual basis.

The programme includes an impact video, showing clear examples of what happens when vehicles are stolen and subsequently involved in crashes, and featuring accounts from the relatives of accident victims.