Hoodies haunted medieval Britain too

Anti-social teenagers sporting hoodies may appear to be a problem of the modern age but, according to historians, "hoodlum" antics are a thing of the past and were first practised more than 700 years ago.

Teenage mothers, families from hell and adolescent angst all feature on the agenda of the world's biggest conference of medieval historians.

Due to take place in Leeds next month, the event will focus on the theme of youth and age and will include papers on "The Bad Kids of the Passion", "Good and Bad Pupils" and teenage angst in the Middle Ages. It will

only be three miles from an area with one of the country's highest concentrations of young people who have been served with antisocial behaviour orders.