FIFTY of Burnley's worst behaved youngsters could be sent on anger management courses as part a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

A list of the youths will be drawn up as part of a scheme to tackle juvenile nuisance in the town's highest crime areas by offering them help and support to change their behaviour.

That could include things such as extra support at school or even anger management classes for troubled youths.

The list will be put together by the police and Burnley Council and will include youths who are identified by local residents as causing problems, truants and those identified by youth offending teams.

The news came as police elsewhere in East Lancashire took a pioneering step to name and shame an offender by circulating leaflets featuring his photograph and detailing what he is banned from doing.

Officers in Bacup are sending leaflets to neighbours of thug John Egan asking them to help keep him under control - and report him if he is spotted doing anything he shouldn't.

The Burnley scheme is part of a range of measures which will be introduced over the next year by police, Burnley Council and agencies which form Burnley Community Safety Partnership.

It will see the creation of a Youth Inclusion Programme (YIP), which are funded by the Youth Justice Board in high crime neighbourhoods across England and Wales. These programmes aim to identify and target the 50 most 'at risk' young people in a community or neighbourhood to reduce levels of crime.

Each YIP finds its own way of supporting the young people they work with through group work, educational and mentoring programmes.

The scheme would be voluntary and would involve youngsters being offered activities to try and steer them away from juvenile nuisance. A similar scheme is already up and running in Blackburn.

The chairman of Burnley Community Safety Partnership and head of the borough's police force, Chief Supt Jerry Graham, said: "Much has already been achieved in the borough with the number of burglaries and car crime at an all-time low and with safer roads. However, there is still a great deal to be done. We have listened to the views of local communities and it is clear that quality-of-life issues such as anti-social behaviour, damage and graffiti still blight too many of our neighbourhoods."

Other schemes planned by the Community Safety Partnership include working with parents of poorly-behaved youngsters, continued use of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) and acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) and a hotline so people can report juvenile nuisance.

A target to reduce people's perceived levels of anti-social behaviour by 15 per cent in the next three years has been set.

Meanwhile, police have made an example of John Daniel Egan, 29, of Bacup, whose picture has been put on hundreds of leaflets sent out to residents in the borough.

Egan was given a Criminal Conviction Anti-Social Behaviour Order for his part in vehicle crimes.

Residents have been warned that the order prevents Egan from entering any privately owned vehicle without the owner's permission; having in his possession any tool, spark plug, screwdriver, crowbar, scaffolding pipe or rubber gloves in a public place; or associating with Kevin Melody, Darren Melody, Robert Merryweather or Daniel Cooban.

Anyone witnessing a breach of the order has been asked to contact police on 01706 215242 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.