JUSTICE Secretary Kenny MacAskill today launched a £3million drive to cut petty crime in the west of Scotland.

JUSTICE Secretary Kenny MacAskill today launched a £3million drive to cut petty crime in the west of Scotland.

The Turnaround scheme targets men between 18 and 30 who have had multiple remand or short-term sentences and have failed to fulfil other community-based alternatives.

Four new centres will open offering help to address their problems and secure jobs or training posts. A 12-bed residential unit is also planned.

The men will have to carry out "community penalties" with referrals from courts, social work departments and the Scottish Prison Service.

Up to 500 male offenders a year will benefit from the initiative, which will be managed by Turning Point Scotland.

Visiting one of the four new centres in Irvine today, Mr MacAskill said: "This innovative service will pilot new ways of delivering services to a difficult to reach group and has been carefully designed to ensure men with drug and alcohol addictions can be dealt with more effectively.

"If we begin to tackle the root causes of reoffending we stand a better chance of cutting crime."

Netta MacIver, chief executive of Turning Point Scotland, said: "Our experience of working women through the 218 service tells us that we can turn lives around."