FOOTBALL training sessions with Cherries stars are helping to fight the problem of bored youngsters getting into trouble in Christchurch this summer holiday.

Weekly sessions at Somerford junior school on Wednesdays and River Way recreation ground at Jumpers on Thursdays have been running throughout August for under-13s in the morning and the under-16s in the afternoons.

The £1 a session soccer schools with the AFC Bournemouth players have been backed by the Youth Inclusion and Support Panel, Twynham Housing Association and the council's crime and disorder reduction partnership as part of the game plan to kick anti-social behaviour into touch.

And at half time in the holiday period the football project and other crime-busting moves have has already achieved the goal with a 75 per cent downturn in complaints of nuisance behaviour by youngsters.

Council Antisocial Behaviour Reduction Officer, Diana Webster, said: "Comments so far from young people include: 'It's amazing' and 'It's wicked for a quid.'

"I wouldn't want to tar all the youngster with the same brush, they are not all trouble makers, but every little bit we can do to keep them out of trouble helps."

Other measures around the borough including high visibility police patrols, acceptable behaviour contracts, dispersal orders and an extension of the town centre alcohol ban have seen a dramatic fall in complaints for the April to June quarter compared to the same period last year. Mrs Webster said: "These figures are very encouraging but we must not be complacent. Anti-social behaviour is an issue that the Community Safety Action Group takes very seriously."

"We will continue our pro-active approach and would encourage the community to keep us informed and get involved in the work of the partnership."

Places are still available, particularly for the 14 to 16 group, on the football programme.

First published: August 19