A group of teenagers from Reading have graduated from a pioneering course, which uses fishing to divert young people away from crime and anti social behaviour.

The Entry to Employment programme is run by Nacro, in partnership with Reading Borough Council.

Over the last twelve weeks, five teenagers have been casting their hooks out around Reading, alongside academic study in numeracy and literacy using angling as a theme.

The group have also taken part in angling and environmental based work experience while developing their own fishing skills and knowledge.

Will Barnard from Nacro, who runs the project says: “People may think sports such as football or boxing are the best way to engage young people but our experience shows that angling is very popular and helps improve behaviour.

“Many of the young people who take part in our angling projects go on to become volunteers, compete in championships and some do on to achieve formal coaching qualifications in angling.”

Reading West MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Angling, Martin Salter says: “I very much welcome this new Nacro programme aimed at benefiting young people in the Reading area.

"I have no doubt that sports like angling, or indeed any other pastime that encourages a healthy use of their spare time is infinitely preferable to having youngsters hanging around on street corners and getting into trouble.

“Some of the angling participation programmes I’ve seen at work elsewhere have produced significant reductions in patterns of re-offending.”

The project mirrors other successful courses in places like Stoke and Durham which have encouraged hundreds of young people to take up the sport and helped break patterns of behaviour that lead to offending.