People with an interest in the criminal justice system are needed to help young people in trouble with the law.

Hertfordshire County Council’s Youth Justice Service is looking for volunteers from the community to sit on Youth Offender panels. Youth Offender Panels deal with young offenders following their first court appearance.

They are designed to give communities a say in how young offenders can repair the harm they have done and help them to take responsibility for their actions.

Each panel is made up of two volunteers and one member of the local Youth Offending Team and works with the young person and his or her family to draw up a programme aimed at helping them make amends and preventing further offending.

Volunteers must be at least 18-years-old and need to be available for two to three hours a fortnight and commit to the role for at least a year.

Interested applicants are invited to attend an open evening on Wednesday, February 5 at 6.30pm to 9.00pm in The Jim Macdonald Centre, Hatfield.