TEN teenage girls have been given intensive training by the Fire Brigade as part of a new anti-social behaviour initiative.

The girls, aged from 13 to 17, have been put through a five-day intensive work experience course.

They are among a number of young people being given basic teamwork training to help reduce levels of anti-social behaviour and disorder offences.

Cleveland Fire Brigade and the anti-crime watchdog Safe in The Tees Valley established the initiative to combat crime.

Teesside's chief fire officer John Doyle presented certificates and work portfolios to the first batch of youngsters on Friday, watched by members of the Cleveland Fire Authority.

Organisers say the project, based around operational fire fighting duties, shows teenagers there is an alternative to anti-social behaviour and inspires them to good citizenship.

As last-minute preparations were made for the first of a number of passing out parades, Cleveland Fire Brigade announced a new scheme to protect asylum seekers and other immigrants as well as educate them in fire safety.

Tony Churchill, station manager at Grangetown fire station, said: "There have been a number of fire incidents in recent months in the homes of asylum seekers. Six people have been rescued from fires in the past four months, some of them investigated as arson."

Now a home fire safety presentation has been developed, using pictures only, to illustrate all aspects of fire safety in the home and a course has been set up in partnership with Stockton Riverside College to include fire safety for students who are learning English.

Pav Rehman, a bilingual officer from the brigade's community fire safety division, said: "The presentation is aimed at those people for whom English is not their first language, and covers all major aspects of fire safety in the home.

"It shows what a fire station and firefighters look like, describes when to call 999, illustrates cooking and electrical safety and the importance of smoke alarms, an escape route in the event of fire and video clips of real fires and how quickly they spread.''

The brigade is also working with police, private and public sector landlords and local authority partners to ensure that asylum seekers and refugees are given advice and practical support to alert them to the dangers of fire in the home.