A PROJECT to rehabilitate young offenders at Okehampton Army Camp was given a cautious seal of approval at a Chamber of Trade meeting last week.

The subject was raised by chairman Ian Bailey who said a trader had spoken to him with some concerns about C-FAR or the Centre for Adolescent Rehabilitation.

'He said to me it looks as though it is a fait accompli and despite everyone else stopping it happening in their areas good old Okehampton had ended up with it,' said Mr Bailey.

The comments in the press about the young men not being serious sex offenders but 'just guys who burgled your home or car' had worried this trader, he added.

C-FAR was recently refused permission to use a remote farm near Holsworthy because of the remoteness of the area, lack of policing and fear of increased crime. Another site at Zeal Monachorum was also withdrawn after local opposition.

Town Mayor Christine Marsh, who has given the scheme her backing, said no planning permission was needed to run the project at Okehampton Camp — it just needed approval from the MoD which it had.

'The trainees will be allowed into town but will be accompanied at all times and will be wearing a T-shirt with C-FAR on it,' she said. 'They will be minded on almost a one to one basis.'

The centre aims to take up to 12 young male offenders at a time for ten-week residential courses.

'These will be people from deprived backgrounds who have not been so fortunate as ourselves,' added the Mayor. 'They will be put through a programme which gives them back self respect and shows them how to do something for themselves.'

She said it was not until the trainees had proved their worth that they would be allowed into the community.

C-FAR, which is the brainchild of ex-Royal Marine Trevor Philpott, is currently looking for community projects in which the young men can have an input.

The meeting was told the police were satisfied with the project which was running at the camp for an initial period of twelve months to start with.

Jeweller William Cornish said he certainly had no objections to it and Sidney Thompson of Okehampton OK said the town should embrace the concept.

'Because it is a fait accompli I think we should meet this head on and embrace it by working closely with the project,' he said. 'Let's put up our help to the organisation.'

Mr Bailey added: 'I think we will have to wait and see on this one. Perhaps it is not quite as bad as it has been envisaged — I hope it does the young people up there good rather than the town ill at all.'