A FIRE station that was once the busiest in the UK, in an area described as the arson capital of Britain, was the centre of attention yesterday - for another reason.

A group of young offenders, and others at risk, took part in a passing-out parade at Grangetown, following an intensive five-day course set up to teach them life-saving skills and the consequences of dangerous driving.

They were the first batch of graduates from the training course being run at Cleveland Fire Brigade's Grangetown training school, aimed at turning law-breakers into model citizens.

Mark Whelan, director of operations and community safety, said: "Intervention and engagement work with young people is a vital element of Cleveland Fire Brigade's commitment to inclusion and education of the community it serves.

"We hope that by showing how young people can achieve beyond their expectations we can motivate them to become better citizens.''

He added: "We are very excited about the launch of this programme, in partnership with the National Probation Service and Safe in Tees Valley, which we believe will be a success and will benefit, not only those that take part, but the community as well.

"The Fire Team course aims to teach new skills, provide a sense of achievement and, in particular, this course teaches the consequences of actions, to give them an understanding of the affects and impact of anti-social behaviour.''

Elaine Lumley, chief officer of the National Probation Service for Teesside, said: "We are delighted to be working with Cleveland Fire Brigade and Safe In Tees Valley on this exciting initiative.

"We hope this programme will encourage offenders to become more responsible citizens, raise their awareness of the impact of fire and anti-social behaviour and, in addition, improve their prospects of gaining employment, or moving into education or training."

Helen Williams, youth development manger with the brigade, said: "The five-day course will be pretty intense, with lots of activities to promote both physical and mental development, but it is a fantastic opportunity for those who take part."