By Victoria Brenan

Last updated at 09:09, Monday, 05 November 2012

AROUND 70 youngsters tackled a team of police officers in a special five-a-side football tournament.

Back of the net! Goalie Callum Morgan is beaten by a penalty during the football tournament

The all-day event, at Whitehaven School sports hall, was organised by PCSO Reece Watt, from the Copeland neighbourhood police team, who led a team of officers against various youth teams.

He said the half-term event, one in a series of sports activities organised by police across Cumbria, had been well attended.

Seascale’s Shackles Off youth group entered a team, together with the Bigrigg Bisons and Lowca Pirates.

“It was a brilliant turn out and everyone enjoyed themselves and took the competition seriously,” said Reece.

“It’s great be able to set up events like this and it allows us to build bridges between ourselves and the kids.”

Reece said the events had been proven to reduce anti-social behaviour and gave the youths an alternative to hanging around street corners.

“It also allows us to engage with them on a more personal level,” he added.

He said it was a real community effort with prizes and trophies bought thanks to funding from Cleator Moor and Egremont parish councils.

Reece thanked everyone who was involved and said he hoped to be organising more events in the future.

Sports activities organised by police and other agencies have been praised, helping to cut disorder across Cumbria, with many held during school holidays.

In Carlisle, a Summer Splash initiative in Carlisle led to a drop in trouble in the west of the city by nearly 50 per cent.

Reece asked anyone interested in being involved in future events in west Cumbria to contact him on 101.

The football tournament winners were Bigrigg Bisons, with Lowca Pirates finishing runners-up.

First published at 10:59, Saturday, 03 November 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk