WEST Mercia police force has the shortest time interval between the arrest of persistent young offenders and their sentence by the courts, it has been revealed.

The official figures were released this week by the youth Justice Board.

In some cases, this means a young person can be arrested and sentenced in a single day.

Speaking on behalf of West Mercia Criminal Justice Board, Chief Crown Prosecutor Colin Chapman said: "This is good news for us all. It sends a strong message to young offenders that they will be dealt with quickly and it gets them into arrangements to stop their behaviour.

"It is also a positive sign for the success of local justice teams, creating closer links to improve services and give reassurance to victims and those affected by these crimes."

It is believed the combined efforts of our main justice agencies, police, crown prosecution service, Her Majesty's Courts Service and the Youth Offending Service have resulted in the achievement.

Together they have put in a lot of extra effort, made small changes in the ways they work and been determined to meet targets in a way that benefits local people.

Streamlined processes, in case preparation and management, were key to speeding up the justice system in West Mercia last year.

This latest achievement comes ahead of the introduction of speedier processes in respect of youth courts this year.