Community panels, run by Norfolk Youth Offending Team (YOT), do the latter, working to change the lives of young people while helping victims and reducing crime.

Regular people, with all kinds of background, play an important part, giving up their time to get first-time offenders back on track.

After 35 years in the RAF, Gaywood volunteer Howard Tomney (56) is a firm believer in discipline.

But three years as a panel member has taught him the power of communication and helped him to see the potential in all young people.

Mr Tomney, a health and safety adviser with two grown -up children, got involved after hearing about the scheme through a friend and has no regrets, despite the challenges involved.

He said: “Panel members set up a contract with the young person and in those months, you have to try to understand what they are doing and where they have gone wrong. You have to sit down and talk to people and learn how to get through to them. You have to get under their skin and find out what they are like.

“You always get one or two who will resist at all costs and it can be frustrating. But at the end, you can see a lot of them have made progress and how well they are doing.”

The role also involves trying to understand the reasons behind the offending and helping the young person to take responsibility for the harm they have caused, both to victims and the community at large.

He added: “Once you sit down and talk to them, you can find there are a lot of issues, like a lack of education. You find a lot of it is drink and drug-related.

“You have to try to turn it around, to get them to look at what they have done and the cost of what they have done. Every action has a reaction and you have to make them understand that.”

Downham volunteer Debbie Carr (57) worked with young people for more than 20 years before becoming a panel member last year.

She volunteered after reading about the scheme in a magazine and still finds the work extremely rewarding.

“I thought it sounded really worthwhile. It’s been better than I imagined, I’m touched by it,” she said.

“It’s satisfying to have a connection with a young person.

“They start to see there is light at the end of the tunnel.