It is always satisfying to see a criminal brought to justice and given their just deserts in the courts.

But, as the old saying goes, prevention is often better than cure.

So a planned “centre of excellence” to be created in the Girlington area of Bradford to divert young people away from a life of crime is something that should be given every chance to succeed.

It is important for young people to know that they have options in life, and that nothing is set in stone for them. Just because someone lives in, perhaps, an area of deprivation or seems to have little chance of finding a job, that does not mean a life on the margins has been mapped out for them.

When people feel dispossessed and lacking in prospects it is easy for them to think that they don’t matter to society, and that’s when they wander into the grey areas of criminality which can lead to a downward spiral that ends up with them locked into violent or damaging behaviour with prison on the horizon.

By getting to youngsters early – this new facility will deal with 10 to 20-year-olds – problems of anti-social behaviour, petty criminality and problems at school or in the home can be identified and tackled.

Similar schemes have already proved fruitful in the Manningham and Toller wards, and it is to be hoped that the same can be achieved in Girlington. No-one can force a child on to the right path, but by showing them they have choices in life and steering them in the right direction, they can be given the best chance to do the right thing.