Youth crime drops by a third with Danish approach

East Renfrewshire Council adopted the model in 2005, which brings together local agencies and services to reduce youth crime.

The approach means schools, social workers, police and the community all work together to create strong communities and help families to break the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage by tackling antisocial behaviour early on, coupled with diversionary tactics.

An evaluation carried out by the Scottish Government found that crime levels had significantly reduced, with a 31 per cent drop in referrals to the Children's Reporter, the Scottish youth justice system.

The report said that the approach could be a model for tackling youth crime elsewhere.

Kenny MacAskill, Justice Secretary at the Scottish Government, said: "It's great that this evaluation gives us clear evidence that early and effective action by different professionals working together can have a massive impact on the lives of young people and communities.

"I hope other councils can learn from this approach and help make sure it can benefit as many young people as possible."