A MAN has launched an area's first boxing club with the hope it will keep youngsters off the streets and out of crime.

Yaqoob Hussain says that many youngsters in the Audley and Queen's Park areas of Blackburn spend their time on street corners, some causing crime and using drugs.

But he believes two nights a week boxing at Audley Community Centre, in Chester Street, would keep them occupied and make them too tired to go out and be a nuisance.

And while he plans to teach boxing skills without contact initially, he hopes to unearth a promising youngster to follow in the footsteps of Muhammed Ali, Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno who all left behind the mean streets to be world champions.

Yaqoob, an advanced boxing coach, is giving up his time voluntarily and will open the club more frequently if the scheme is a success.

This will mean juggling his other roles as chair of the Audley and Queen's Park Community Association and as a full-time field manager at a meter reading company.

"I like helping people," said Yaqoob, "I don't mind at all as long as people are benefiting. I have done coaching for 29 years on a voluntary basis. I hope some of the students become good at boxing, then we can then enter competitions."

Yaqoob has been fighting for several months to get the scheme up and running.

But now he is looking forward to testing his theory that much of the juvenile crime in Audley and Queen's Park is triggered by boredom.

He said: "There is a need for this as the area has problems with crime and drugs. Kids can come along and get rid of their anger.

"And anyway, once I have trained them for two hours they will be too tired to go out and cause trouble!"

The club will run on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7pm and 9pm. Anyone interested should call Audley Community Centre on 01254 691825.