DISADVANTAGED teenagers in the North-East are to be given up to £300 in vouchers by the Government as an incentive to keep out of trouble.

The swipe-card vouchers, which will be redeemable against sports, drama or leisure facilities - and perhaps even high street goods - will be given to law-abiding teenagers, but withdrawn if they misbehave.

Chancellor Gordon Brown announced yesterday that the Youth Opportunity Card was to be tried out in ten areas across the country over the next two years - including County Durham and Sunderland.

The incentive scheme, due to start in September, would make swipe-cards available to all youngsters aged from 13 to 19 in the pilot areas.

Disadvantaged youngsters, defined as those in receipt of free school meals or those in care, will have their credit topped up by the Government to the tune of £12 a month in better-off areas and £25 a month in more disadvantaged areas.

Parents would be able to buy top-up credit to ensure their children's pocket money is spent on constructive activities.

But the Chancellor said that young people who repeatedly get into trouble - by engaging in criminal activities or anti-social behaviour - would have the cards taken from them.

Mr Brown said: "This is not a hand-out. If you don't behave, you don't get it.

"We are toughening up on anti-social behaviour - we are going to be tougher on people who commit crimes.

"But, at the same time, we are going to say to people 'we have also got a duty, if you show responsibility, to be responsible about the services you want'."

The ten pilot areas are to share £30m to ensure the swipe-card technology is installed in places such as leisure centres and swimming baths.

The announcement was welcomed yesterday by Carole Payne, manager at Durham County Council's children's services department, which will implement the pilot project.

She said: "It's good news for parents, because it helps them to encourage their children to take part in healthier activities, and it's good news for communities because having teenagers hanging around street corners can lead to anti-social behaviour."

The card scheme was among a package of measures announced yesterday to improve youth services.

The Chancellor announced that a further £115m was to be awarded to young people's groups around the country over the next two years, including £1.15m for projects in County Durham, almost £500,000 each for Middlesbrough and Stockton, more than £400,000 for Redcar and Cleveland, and £310,000 for Darlington.

The money will pay for a series of measures, including providing professional coaches to keep badly-behaved pupils out of trouble, mentoring schemes in secondary schools, and giving youngsters a say in how councils spend their budgets.