SEEING the faces of two young men sentenced indefinitely for the kidnap and rape of a 12-year-old boy brought sadness to the founder of The Relationships Centre.

Alison McCausland, a former police officer, said the example of brothers Zak and Ryan Hodgson, who were prolific runaways when they were younger, showed what could happen to troubled young people who were not reached in time.

She said: “If you look at Thorn Cross Young Offenders’ Institution 98 per cent of the inmates were runaways and 97 per cent had got involved in crime while running away.”

The research was compiled in 2003 and involved around 458 prisoners.

Talk Don’t Walk, a project aimed at reducing the risk of a young person becoming a runaway, or stopping them from repeat running, was launched by the Gateway, a Sankey Street- based charity, following the worrying findings in 2004.

Alison said: “Young people don’t run away if they are happy. If they are running away from home it is because something is not right there.

“What the Hodgsons did was horrendous and they are now in prison and this has ruined their lives. They nearly took the life of another young person. They were runaways who needed significant help.”

The project works at tackling the underlying reasons behind the young person running away and talks to their family and the other people involved, whether it be their school or social services or any other agency.

Alison added that the case of the Hodgsons echoed the need for a Life Skills Academy in the town. The centre will help care leavers catch up on the essential life skills they will need for the future.

It will be built and run by those with the knowledge and experience to provide the service and this will include young people.