UNRULY youngsters in Colne will be encouraged to take up tennis. Pendle Leisure Trust is setting up a tennis club at Alkincoats Park with the help of police after the area was identified as a 'hotspot' for juvenile nuisance.

The club will start at Easter and Pendle Leisure Trust's sports development manager Suzanne Hodgson is confident it will be a success as tennis has proved popular during holiday clubs in the park. A similar scheme was set up in Brierfield two years ago.

Suzanne said: "We run a holiday activity programme and tennis is very popular so that's the one we thought we could try and get more year round engagement for.

"We're quite excited. We can kick start the programme at Easter with our holiday programme at Alkincoats.

"We're hoping to get parents involved and with some of the funding we want to do some education with residents so they can take on the club in their own right."

The club will cater for ten to 16-year-olds who will receive coaching and could enter competitions during the tennis season.

Lancashire Partnership Against Crime has put £500 towards the £1,600 project.

Partnership manager Ian Groundwater said: "We were approached by Insp Richard Clare who had identified the area as a hotspot in Colne for juvenile nuisance.

"Residents were regularly contacting police about the behaviour of young people hanging around Alkincoats Park.

"To address this it was decided to run some tennis training to get young people involved in a constructive leisure time activity."

Coun Ann Kerrigan, Pendle Council's executive member for community safety, is delighted the scheme looks set to go ahead.

She said: "This has been a passion of mine. I've wanted to see a tennis club there for some time.

"There are so many young people with talent and not always the opportunity for them to express that.

"I'm a keen tennis player and like taking my kids down there to play.

"I'd like the kids to do something competitive as a distraction."

Colne Area Committee will decide whether to put £600 towards the scheme when it meets on Thursday at 7pm.