An award-winning project to reintegrate convicted Bradford rioters into the community is getting the Royal seal of approval.

The achievements of West Yorkshire Probation's scheme, which has got seven out of ten rioters into jobs, are being recognised.

The service's director of offender management, Mark Siddall, and Mohammed Aslam, director of the Asian voluntary organisation Ummid, which worked with probation to prevent further offending, will be presented with The Butler Trust Diversity Award by the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace next Friday.

The Re-Integration of Offenders (Bradford Rioters) Project began in 2001 following the arrest of 230 people during the riots in July of that year.

The project was driven by the probation service and Ummid, but police, Bradford Council, Job Centre Plus and DISC, an organisation working to improve offenders' job prospects, were also involved.

It aimed to prevent further offending by rioters, secure employment for them and build bridges among families and communities.

Most of the convicted rioters have now been released back into the community and 70 per cent of them have obtained employment.

The re-offending rate is just eight per cent, compared to the national rate of 58 per cent, while 93 per cent of rioters completed at least one training course while in prison.

Mr Siddall said: "The project was a response to the Bradford riots, with the overall aim of reducing the likelihood of further riots in the district."

The Butler Trust charity's awards recognise exceptionally dedicated work with offenders in custody and in the community across the UK.

The charity said the Bradford project's painstaking and dedicated work with individual rioters, their families, employers and local communities had resulted in "staggering outcomes and long-lasting benefits."

Charity chairman Sir Trevor Brooking said it was delighted to recognise the excellent and creative work of probation staff to help offenders return to a crime-free life.