'We're all on the ball!'

POLICE hope to prevent youth crime by staging fitness sessions to keep youngsters occupied.

Norton has been targeted by Staffordshire Police and activities kicked off with football coaching at the weekend.

The sessions will be held at Norton Activity Centre each Friday and Saturday night for a year.

They come a month after a similar scheme was launched at Gary Reid's Boxing Gym, in Norton.

Inspector Mark Hardern, commander of Tunstall neighbourhood policing unit, which covers Norton, said: "By positively engaging with young people, they are less likely to get into trouble.

"This, in turn, helps to improve the quality of life for local people."

The sessions are being run by community coaches from Port Vale FC as a partnership between Port Vale Community Trust, Staffordshire Police and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Children who attended on Saturday evening gave the sessions the thumbs-up. Dale Anderson, aged 14, from Smallthorne, said: "There is nothing to do at night so being able to play football is good."

Callum Lacey, aged 12, from Norton Green, said: "I would normally go up to the park but playing football is better."

His friend Ryan Jackson, aged 15, from Ball Green, added: "I wanted to come up with my mates because it gets boring hanging around on the street."

Jim Cooper, community manager of the Port Vale FC Community Trust, said: "This project is a great example of working with young people."

Councillor Derek Capey, cabinet member for sport, leisure, parks and open spaces at the city council, said: "Football reaches all areas of society and we can use this to help improve the prospects of young people in Stoke-on-Trent."

Crime statistics for the Norton and Ball Green area show incidents of anti-social behaviour at an "average" level.

Between October and December there were 56 reports of anti-social behaviour, which represents a 17 per cent decrease from the same period in 2008, when the figure was 68 incidents.

The sessions run at the Norton Lane centre between 7pm and 9pm on Fridays, and from 6pm until 8pm on Saturdays.