LEIGH youngsters who persistently play truant from school or do badly in exams are set to go on a trip to New York in summer funded by taxpayers.

Despite protests when the idea was first announced last year, organisers at Leigh Education Action Zone said this week they were pushing ahead with sending youngsters to The Big Apple to motivate them. The plan attracted widespread national media coverage with critics claiming it was taxpayers' money being used to "reward under achievement".

Youngsters were due to fly across the Atlantic during this academic year but the excursion was set back to allow organisers more time to plan.