TAMING teenagers with football - that's the latest scheme dreamt up by Preston Police.

Community policeman PC Paul Wilkinson plans to run a five-a-side football league for children on housing estates in Tanterton and Ingol.

And he reckons the move could benefit residents by bringing down the number of problems with youngsters near their homes.

PC Wilkinson said: "We did something similar a couple of years ago and it had an obvious effect - on the nights the children were playing football, the number of complaints about juvenile nuisance was much lower."

He also hopes the sometimes tense relationship between police and children on the estates will be improved.

"It will get them involved in something constructive and, hopefully, prove to them that policemen are human after all," he added. There will be four age groups for the teams: seven to eight, nine-11, 12-13 and 14 -15. Each group will comprise eight teams.

"But places are going fast," warned PC Wilkinson.

Entry forms are available from the offices of sponsors North British Housing Association on Marfield Close, Tanterton or from Lea Police Station. The matches are set to start on July 10.

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