A DRIVE to keep roller skating youngsters in off the streets of the Ribble Valley and out of danger has been given a major boost.

Youngsters are being asked to sign up for Clitheroe's first roller hockey club which is set to be launched this week.

Organiser Ronnie Eatough, a fireman, hopes the club will mean teenagers are no longer putting themselves at risk on the roads.

He said: "The aim is to keep them off the streets. There was a child in Blackpool killed while skating a few weeks ago.

"I don't want it to be too late in Clitheroe and a child being killed. Only the other day I saw a lad skate out from between parked cars and two foot into the road.

"It was just lucky a car had not been coming."

The move comes just over four months after a Blackburn youngster was seriously injured after rolling into the path of a car on his skates.

Desmond "Dessie" Cassidy, 13, suffered head injuries in the accident and remained unconscious for several days.

He has now recovered and returned to school. Following the accident, his mother Ann warned other parents to think twice before letting their children skate at the side of the road.

Mr Eatough is now keeping his fingers crossed that Clitheroe leisure centre bosses will give the green light to the new club using the centre.

He said that he had problems finding a venue because of fears that the skates would damage the floors. But he has recruited Blackburn Hawks ice hockey star Colin Downie to put the case forward for using Roefield Leisure Centre, Clitheroe.

He said: "Colin is a qualified coach and will be telling the staff at the leisure centre that the skates will not damage the floor."

Along with Mr Eatough, the Blackburn Hawks ace will be training the youngsters and already more than 100 are queuing up to join the club. But the the number of places will be limited to around 50, just enough to form three teams - the under 18s Clitheroe Cougars, the under 14s Clitheroe Panthers and under 12s Clitheroe Leopards.

Trials for the club will be taking place on the all-weather pitch at Clitheroe Castle on Saturday between 10am and 1pm.

They are open to both boys and girls.

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