Proposals to give young criminals up to £20,000 a year to stay out of trouble have been criticised by an ex-prisoner who turned his life around.

Ian Freeston said the controversial scheme, supported by new police minister Hazel Blears, could even encourage people to commit crime.

The former drug dealer said the authorities were ignoring the roots of the problem and jumping on quick-fix solutions.

Under the scheme, convicted criminals would be paid up to £384 a week to undertake community work, more than twice the national minimum wage for an 18-year-old.

Mr Freeston, 41, who now works as a building site foreman, became involved in drugs when he was a nightclub DJ at the height of the rave scene.

But after a stretch in prison he managed to transform his life and now wants to help youngsters lead a crime-free life.

Mr Freeston, of St George's Mews, Brighton said: "On paper it looks like a good idea and it will be cheaper than sending people to prison but people are not looking at the big picture.

"I know, from being inside, that nothing like this works. People will think they can go out and mug someone and end up with a £20,000 job and not have to go out and work like everybody else.

"There needs to be some personal endeavour. You have to learn to stand on your own two feet otherwise we are just papering over the cracks.

"We need to start concentrating on prevention rather than cure and that means learning to talk to people like human beings rather than soap opera characters.

"It also means looking at our benefit system and how easy it is for people not to work."

Mrs Blears said giving offenders work to do would reduce the likelihood of them returning to crime.

It would also save money by keeping them out of jail, which costs £24,000 a year per inmate.