PRINCESS Anne gave two new Southampton-based anti-crime initiatives a royal seal of approval yesterday.

The Princess Royal, in her role as patron of national charity Crime Concern, gave a keynote address at a seminar held at Hampshire Police's Netley training headquarters formally launching a new mediation service where young offenders will face their victims.

She then moved to Southampton city centre to speak at the opening of the West Itchen Neighbourhood Safety Project at St Matthew's Church Hall in St Mary's.

The seminar at Netley of around 100 local justice officials - including police, magistrates, councillors and probation officials - heard the aim of the restorative justice was to reduce crime by making young offenders confront their victims in mediated face-to-face meetings or through letters and tapes, rather than through the court system.

A short play by youngsters from The Galley Youth Theatre illustrated a meeting between a fictional OAP and her young tormentor.

Senior reparation officer Chris Stevens, told the meeting the Mediation and Reparation Services (MARS) initiative, a city-based partnership between Crime Concern and the Wessex Youth Offending Service has already been running since April and had dealt with 100 cases.

He said in every case the approach had helped the distress of those affected and had also helped those who had taken part.

The princess, who arrived at Netley by helicopter, urged more volunteers to take part and expressed a desire for more funding.

She said public concern over young people and disorderly behaviour had never been higher, and that people want more to be done for young offenders and to tackle the causes of youth crime. Surveys had shown that half of young people were concerned enough to give up their own time, she added.

She said that although volunteers weren't a substitution for trained professionals their "neighbourhood nous and goodwill" was vital if schemes were to succeed.

"We can't put a price on helping young people lead individual lives free from drugs and free from trouble with the law."

At St Matthew's Hall the princess and 150 assembled guests including Southampton MP Alan Whitehead and city mayor Derek Burke, heard how the West Itchen Neigh-bourhood Safety Project - another scheme backed by Crime Concern - had targetted six key areas of concern in the inner city: burglary, car crime, youth crime, racial harassment, crime against small businesses and prostitution.

The project is backed by Southampton City Council, police, fire services and has financial support from Marks and Spencer.

Rhys Burton, project manager, said: "It's fundamental that we engage all members of the community to help plan and deliver effective solutions.

"We must give the community a strong voice in our work. They are the people living with the problems and they can help us solve them."

The princess said: "The foundations are there, it's time now to get building so that fewer residents are traumatised, fewer local businesses are drained by vandalism and we can end racist intimidation.

Following the second meeting she toured the African Caribbean Centre where she met centre staff and local voluntary groups.

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