Victims of crime in Bradford are to get more help and support after an £800,000 cash boost.

The success of a pioneering project in the district, neighbourhood resolution panels, which puts victims of low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in contact with the perpetrators as part of restorative justice, has helped Bradford get a chunk of the Ministry of Justice grant. The money is being distributed by West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson, with more than £150,000 of it going to restorative justice schemes and victims’ services in Bradford.

Restorative justice services in Bradford are recognised locally and nationally, and the Bradford Neighbourhood Resolution Project, which deals with low-level crime, anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood nuisance, has a 90 per cent victim satisfaction rate.

Of the offenders that have been through the process, 97 per cent have not re-offended. The innovative Bradford project has been nominated for a West Yorkshire Police Partnership Award and is seen as leading the way on restorative justice in West Yorkshire. Restorative justice allows victims of crime to tell offenders of the real impact of their actions, and shows the harm offenders cause to their victims, the wider community and themselves. Councillor Imran Hussain, deputy leader of Bradford Council and chairman of the Bradford Community Safety Partnership, said: “The power of restorative justice is about giving victims a voice and a safe space to share with the perpetrator the impact the crime has had on them.

“This process also has a significant impact on reducing offending. Bradford is leading the way in developing restorative justice services and this money will help us push further ahead. Restorative justice recognises the importance of community involvement.”