TEENAGERS from an area where drug dealing and substance misuse are on the increase were taken on a retreat to help steer them away from drugs.

Sofia Buncy, of the Pakistani Youth Forum, got together the group of teenagers from Thornton Lodge and took them to the Bradley Woods Scout Camp.

There they were given advice by police on how to avoid drugs and to steer clear of street crime.

Sofia said: “We just wanted to catch them at this age because when they’re on the streets they’re more susceptible to drug abuse.

“After this hopefully they will know what sort of things to look out for on the streets and they’ll know more about what they might be asked and encouraged to do by others.

“Some of the youngsters have said that people have approached them and asked them to sell drugs for them in the past.”

Project co-ordinator Sofia said the course at Bradley Woods, funded by Kirklees Council, was in response to a growing drug problem in Thornton Lodge.

She said: “We’ve been finding recently that there have been a number of police raids in the area.

“Lots of young people and people in their 20s have been arrested for substance misuse and drug dealing.

“There’s been quite a significant increase and we’re quite concerned because it’s a heavily-deprived area anyway.

“We’re trying to figure out why more and more young people are going down this path.”