YOUNGSTERS charged with vandalism could avoid a criminal record under a new scheme to be piloted in Scotland.
It will bring juveniles face to face with their victims and allow them to make amends.
The initiative was announced by Lothian and Borders Police yesterday. It is aimed at cracking down on vandals over the school holidays.
The force revealed that almost a quarter of the culprits in its area were under the age of 16.
Youngsters caught in the act will be offered the opportunity to meet their victims, with police officers acting as mediators, in an attempt to agree on recompense.
This could range from monetary compensation to property being personally repaired by the offender.
The launch of the scheme comes just a week after five children were reported to the children's panel in connection with #10,000 worth of damage at Prestonfield Primary School in Edinburgh.
The school had to be closed after 166 windows were shattered.
In an attempt to drive home the message, the force has recruited the Scotland and Hearts player David Weir and the Hibernian captain John Hughes, who both feature in a poster campaign.
Hughes said yesterday that, while he had not been involved in acts of vandalism as a youth, he was nevertheless ''no angel''.
He went on: ''A lot of kids are into football, and if by having my face and David's face on these posters it can reach kids and stop the vandalism, that would be great.
''As you get older, you appreciate how costly vandalism can be and the aim of the campaign is to bring this home to kids.''
The initiative has drawn on the pioneering efforts of Thames Valley Police.
That force has seen its theft levels plummet from 33% to 3% after bringing shoplifters face-to-face with retailers.
Across the Lothian and Borders area, local authorities reported #2.5m worth of damage related to crimes of vandalism.
It makes up 20% of the force's total recorded crime, second only in volume to theft, although it is estimated that nationally 70% of vandalism goes unreported.
Last night the Scottish Home Affairs Minister, Mr Henry McLeish, rejected the suggestion that the scheme was a soft option, despite the fact that one of the alternatives being offered to offenders was writing a letter of apology to victims.
Mr McLeish said: ''Facing up not only to the crime, but the person it was perpetrated against, is a tough step to take.
''This innovative scheme is making youngsters take direct responsibility for their actions, and anything that helps prevent youngsters carrying a black mark against their name for the rest of their life should be welcomed.''
Detective Chief Superintendent Douglas Watson, who is leading the initiative, echoed this view.
He said: ''The police are the last people who want to see youngsters with a conviction around their necks, but if by giving them this chance we can make them see that it is their parents and their families who are paying for their crime out of their own pockets, then that is far more useful.
''We have to break down the mindset that vandalism does not matter. It makes up 20% of our crime figures and we have to do something about it.''
Under the project, known as the Juvenile Reparation Scheme, youngsters will be cautioned and charged but will not receive a criminal record if they abide by its terms.
The police will work in conjunction with social workers and the children's reporter to determine if the juvenile is suitable for the programme.
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