A TEENAGER spoke of the moment she told off the Prime Minister and said: "It was just something I had to do."

Rahima Patel confronted Tony Blair just moments after he stepped down from a podium in King George's Hall during a visit to Blackburn and told him that he had given all youngsters a bad name.

She said he should start praising the good things young people do.

The 16-year-old Westholme pupil, from Whalley Range had been invited to attend Mr Blair's speech -- which unveiled plans to improve urban areas as well as praising Blackburn with Darwen Council for their achievements -- because she is the area's youth MP.

As he mingled with the audience, Rahima pushed forward and told Mr Blair she was fed up of what had been said about young people recently.

The Government has just unveiled a package of measures aimed at tackling juvenile street crime but Rahima said, "I said that MPs should stop giving the impression that youngsters are to blame for everything that is wrong and responsible for street crime.

"I know some young people do do wrong and they need to be punished but all the Government ever focuses on is the bad stuff and that is reflected in the media so everyone starts to believe it.

"There are so many young people who do good things and I want him to start saying so."

Mr Blair said he appreciated what she was saying and he understood that young people could just as equally be victims as well. She added, "What he has to do now is actually do something about it rather than just listen and do nothing."

"If he highlights some good things done by young people it will make all the difference.

"I appreciate people need to be punished but the root problems need to be tackled as well, like why the crimes are committed.

"Often, it is because people have nothing better to do. If they did have somewhere to go, then the crimes wouldn't happen.

"That is what I would think is one solution."