The new scheme being operated in Shipley, which gives student volunteers a chance to go out on the beat with local police officers, is one of the most innovative and encouraging crime-prevention ideas seen for a very long time.

The 20 students, aged between 16 and 19, who have signed up with the Shipley Constituency Anti-Crime Partnership, are being paired up with beat bobbies for two-hour patrols, during which they spot potential opportunities for crime and hand out advice to car owners, shoppers and others about the risks they are taking.

The benefits to the local community are obvious, and the police are greatly helped by having extra personnel to help them to spread the crime-prevention message.

A big benefit to the students is that the scheme gives them a chance to improve their communication skills and boost their self-confidence. But over and above that, it gives them a real insight into the world of the police and helps to counteract the often-quoted view that today's teenagers have little sense of community.

It may even be said that if the scheme can be extended and expanded in other areas, then some of the young people who might otherwise be drawn into criminal activities in the future could instead be caught up in helping out and might find their lives taking a very different direction.

Congratulations to the police in Shipley for this pioneering project. Let's hope that their colleagues across the district are sufficiently inspired by it to want to follow their example.