YOUTH Watch was successfully launched at Court Fields Community School in Wellington on Wednesday with over 30 children signing up to help with the scheme.

Pupils were given security pens to mark their property at home and the student who marks the most items will be given a tour of the police headquarters in Taunton.

Youth Watch is similar to Neighbourhood Watch schemes, giving young people the chance to take responsibility of their communities and teaching others about issues such as road safety, green issues and crime prevention.

Children will be working closely with a number of organisations and groups including the police, Avon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and the RSPCA.

Sgt Richard Caburn from Wellington police was at the launch on Wednesday. He said: "It was good. We had a lot of interest from the children and many pupils helped us distribute the markers and advised other children on community safety issues.

"It will lead to other initiatives and ideas in the future. It will be good for the school and very, very good for the town. The children will be doing positive things for the benefit of the community. Often children of comprehensive school age get a bad name, quite unfairly at times, and this is an opportunity for them integrate with other groups and achieve results for the benefit of the community."

Some ideas the children have come up with so far include community litter picks, graffiti walls, walk to school days and more litter bins.

Head teacher Elaine Faull said: "I think it's an excellent project. It's a way of involving all young people in citizenship and I think it will be excellent to give the young people good press rather than what we normally hear about them.

"It's a really exciting project. I think it will give them a sense of responsibility and whenever students are given leadership roles they always come up trumps and develop their teamwork."