PUPILS have been getting to grips with issues surrounding anti-social behaviour.

For the past three months, Richmondshire police youth action officer PC Gary Lewis has been working with year ten citizenship students at Richmond School to teach them about the problem and listen to their views.

"This is what I call citizenship in action," said PC Lewis.

"Young people are often blamed for anti-social behaviour, but now they know they have a part to play in helping to tackle the problem."

The students were given the chance to quiz a panel of experts, including a magistrate, prison officer, solicitor, police officer and a member of the youth offending team.

"The students really took to this project," said Linda Conroy, Richmond School citizenship co-ordinator.

"They came up with more than 100 questions for the panel, which we whittled down to about 20.

"The panel had no prior knowledge of the questions and were subject to some very mature, thought-provoking and probing questioning, covering all aspects of anti-social behaviour."

The initiative is to be repeated at Risedale Community College and St Francis Xavier School in the new year.