ARMY chiefs have denied that a pilot project which will see 100 problem young people sent to a military boot camp will cause trouble.

A group of 16 to 20-year-olds from Burnley and Padiham, including some with criminal convictions, will next month be sent to Strensall Barracks, near York. The youngsters are all attending voluntarily and will take part in physical drills and team-building exercises similar to those army cadets experience. The week-long scheme, the first of its kind in the UK, has been backed by council chiefs and could be rolled out across the country if successful.

Now army chiefs have reassured people living near the barracks that the East Lancashire young people will not wreak havoc.

An army spokesman said: “We have been involved in working with young people in Burnley for some months and wanted to see if there was something we could do to help them and provide them with opportun-ities. We are trying to show them that they can bring some structure and discipline to their lives while having a great time and Strensall Barracks has been identified as a suitable location for this in terms of its location and the facilities it offers.

“There is no reason for anybody living near the barracks to be concerned. It will be managed corr-ectly, we will look after these young people and nobody need worry at all.”