CRIME-FIGHTERS have gone fishing, hoping to get youngsters hooked on the sport, rather than crime.

Cleveland Fire Brigade has joined forces with two charities to set up angling schools to teach youngsters the rudiments of fishing.

Neil Heath, Cleveland Fire Brigade's community liaison officer for Redcar, said: "The brigade has created this partnership to help in the fight against arson, which accounts for 90 per cent of our fires throughout Middlesbrough, Redcar, Stockton and Hartlepool.

"The aim of the sessions, which are taught in modules, is to deliver fun and interactive training in the sport of angling, while increasing young persons' awareness of the environment and how to look after it, enhancing skills and team-building and demonstrating there are viable alternatives to crime and anti- social behaviour.''

Six youngsters, aged ten to 17, had their first taster session at the River Tees Water Sports Centre, Stockton, on Friday, where they were introduced to the sport.

Cleveland Fire Brigade is working with national charity Get Hooked on Fishing and Safe in Tees Valley's Redcar and Cleveland Youth Inclusion Programme on the sessions.

Mr Heath said: "Get Hooked on Fishing currently runs its intervention programme throughout the country with great success.

"Some of the young people from the taster sessions, which are going to be run every Friday for the next four weeks, could be identified and developed into becoming instructors themselves. This will enable them to become role models and to run courses in the future.''

Youngsters accepted for the fishing schools are being referred by the Redcar and Cleveland Youth Inclusion Programme, which is providing funding for the scheme.

Mr Heath says the area is excellent for fishing.

He said: "Redcar and Cleveland is an excellent location to introduce the programme because of its natural resources for both fresh water and sea fishing."

Paul McGowan, Redcar and Cleveland youth inclusion project operations manager, said: "This is a great opportunity for the young people to learn new skills and be involved in something constructive that will hopefully divert them from the possibility of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour. ''