A project which was set up to steer young people away from crime could be extended if a £250,000 funding bid is successful.

The U13 in OX14 project is a joint venture between Thames Valley Police, Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxfordshire Youth Mentoring Scheme.

It focuses on the under-13 age group in Abingdon and works to tackle peer group problems.

The scheme works by matching young people with a volunteer mentor, who offers advice and support as well as steering them away from influences which might lead to an involvement in crime.

With falling crime rates in the town, police and the other agencies involved are now working to secure funding from various bodies to continue the good work.

They also want a similar scheme up and running in Berinsfield by the end of 2002.

Sgt Matt Coburn, community safety officer for southern Oxfordshire, said: "Much of the help we get now is in kind, from people like the council and the youth service.

"The youth service is doing a lot of our training for us and effectively employing our supervisor for us. But if we get this new funding, we will have to buy everything in and it will suddenly become quite a big project."

Sgt Coburn said the scheme was funded until the middle of this year, adding: "Certainly so far one of the strongest signals it is working is the willingness of young people to do well on it."

He said children could get on to the scheme in various ways, including a request to be referred. The mentor partnership initially runs for a year, although that can be extended for another year if necessary.