A programme to tackle youth crime is being rolled out across the Thames Valley following two successful pilots.

Operation Deter Youth, delivered by Youth Justice Services under an early intervention pathway called Act Now, aims to make contact with under-18s arrested for weapon and violence offences within 90 minutes of notification of their arrest.

A home visit is also completed within 48 hours of the child's release from custody.

Thames Valley police and crime commissioner Matthew Barber has committed £900,000 of funding to expand the programme following successful pilots in Milton Keynes and Slough.

The programme will now be rolled out across all nine Youth Justice Services and available in every Thames Valley Police custody suite.

The first new area to go live is Wokingham, which launched in early November.

Each Youth Justice Service is expected to be delivering the programme by the end of spring 2025.

The rollout will also include other weapon offences, violence, and robbery, in addition to all knife-enabled and knife possession offences.

Mr Barber said: "Early intervention and prevention activity to stop children being drawn into crime is key to tackling knife crime and violence and addressing the culture of knife carrying.

"The Op Deter Youth programme aims to look at the root causes of offending.

"It uses fast-tracked processes to increase the levels of engagement children have with youth justice services, breaking the cycle of offending, and improving future safeguarding opportunities by determining if they are being exploited.

"I am pleased that all Youth Justice Services have signed up to deliver the programme and are in the process of implementation.

"The rollout together with the expansion of eligible offences will help to divert increasing numbers of children away from the Criminal Justice System and deliver safer streets across our communities."

Interventions include speech, language, and communication needs assessments, education, training and employment support, mental health support, conflict resolution without violence and aggression, and support for parents and carers.

Jo Brennan, head of oversight at the Youth Justice Board, said: "The Youth Justice Board welcomes the introduction of Act Now.

"Evidence shows supporting children at the earliest point after arrest and offering interventions that build on their strengths, give them the best chance of not reoffending in the future.

"We commend the police and crime commissioner on this investment in youth justice service delivery which we expect to reduce the number of children carrying knives and taking part in other related offending."

The pilots in Milton Keynes and Slough have shown promising results with a reoffending rate of six per cent from 100 children engaged in the programme, compared to a national average of between 25 and 30 per cent.