BASINGSTOKE'S top police officer has welcomed the Government's move to give courts the powers to lock up young bail bandits - but she says somewhere needs to be found to put the young delinquents.

Superintendent Alison Queen said she supported Home Secretary David Blunkett's announcement on Tuesday that the courts will soon be able to place 12 to 16-year-olds with a history of crime in secure accommodation to stop them committing more crimes while on bail.

At present, magistrates can only remand child offenders if they are suspected of committing a very serious crime, punishable with at least 14 years in jail. But they will soon be able to remand in custody for a much wider range of offences.

"I think it's a wonderful idea," said Supt Queen. "It's very difficult for us to take any positive action when the offenders are released on bail. Perhaps the fear of going into secure custody will be a deterrent for them."

Earlier this year, the parents of a Basingstoke teenage criminal, who repeatedly offended while on bail, asked the courts to lock him up before his sentence because they could not control him.

Supt Queen said Mr Blunkett's stronger measures, which will be introduced nationally from September, would be useful in cases like this - but she also raised concerns about where the youngsters will be housed.

"We don't have enough secure accommodation at the moment, so how on earth are they going to provide any more places?" she asked.

Supt Queen added: "There has been no increase in young offenders' institutions in the area. Our juvenile offenders go to Feltham, which, as far as I am aware, is full to the brim.

"There would need to be more spaces in young offenders' institutions to make way for these young people who are remanded prior to being convicted."