Children as young as ten in Bradford could be referred for treatment under a new scheme aimed at young offenders with drug problems.

The city has been chosen as one of ten to pilot a Home Office arrest referral scheme for under-18s, an extension of a project already in place for adults. It means that arrested ten- to 18-year-olds who are found to have been taking drugs will be given the option of advice on how to get treatment. Youngsters could be referred to a range of services from early intervention and prevention programmes to treatment.

The project will come under the Bradford Safer Communities Partnership, involving Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Police, health services and the Youth Offending Team.

Bradford area drugs co-ordinator Detective Sergeant Colin Stansbie said the project was in its infancy. He said if any young person was arrested they would have the option of being referred to the scheme, through the police and the Council's social services department.

Det Con Stansbie said: "They will have to be assessed for their level of drugs use and found the appropriate drug treatment."

He added: "It is a very positive step and a logical one, especially with the levels of crime committed by young people."

Det Con Stansbie said most offenders would be nearly 18 and he would not expect there to be a significant number of younger children.

He said it was impossible to put figures on the number of young people addicted to drugs who were involved in crime.

"That is one of the main reasons to have a pilot scheme, to assess the extent of the problem," he said.

"There is a problem but it would be guesswork to try and measure it.

"At the moment it is anecdotal, but under the pilot scheme we have a chance to map it."

Alison Richards, Bradford Council's drug and alcohol strategy co-ordinator, said they were pleased to have the opportunity to pilot the scheme.

"There has been a scheme for some time aimed at encouraging adults who are arrested because of crimes related to their drug use into treatment," she said.

"Now young people will be offered the chance to see a specialist young people's worker who can assess their needs and enable them to receive help, support and treatment."