ADVERTS encouraging people to become magistrates will be appearing on buses across Huddersfield and West Yorkshire from this week.

They are part of a month-long national campaign to boost the number of JPs throughout England and Wales.

Currently, fewer than 4% of magistrates are under 40 and four out of five are over 50.

The campaign aims to attract younger candidates and people from a more diverse background.

In West Yorkshire there are 1,400 magistrates. Just 69 are under 40 and 119 are from ethnic minority groups.

Mark Adamson, legal manager at Huddersfield Magistrates' Court, said key qualities needed for the job included level- headedness, fairness and being a good listener.

He added: "If you are concerned with the state of law and order in the region one of the things you can do help is apply to become a magistrate."

Constitutional Affairs Secretary Lord Falconer says one of the main difficulties in recruiting from minority ethnic communities lies in the belief that to become a magistrate you have to be white, middle class, middle- aged and professional.

He added: "We need to re-double our efforts and recruit more magistrates, recruit younger magistrates and increase the number of black and Asian justices, particularly in those cities and towns where they are under-represented."