Council sends young tearaways on 'holiday'

Teenage troublemakers have been sent on holiday as part of Westminster council's efforts to curb anti-social behaviour.

A dozen youths and young adults were sent for weekends in Wales and Brighton to steer them away from a life of crime.

The youths had amassed dozens of police cautions between them, although none had a formal criminal record.

Under the Tory-run council's Civicwatch project, they were enrolled on a Duke of Edinburgh scheme that included

anti-social "character-building" courses costing ?3,300 in total. As a result, 91 per cent of people aged 16-24 in the Queen's Park area came into less contact with the police afterwards.

The council believes the course, which began last summer and is likely to be rolled out across the borough, is more constructive than imposing

behaviour orders.