DJ SKILLS, salsa dancing and snowboarding were just some of the activities available to youths taking part in this year's Summer Action Scheme.

Now in its tenth year, the Summer Action Scheme is organised in collaboration with Ealing Council's Youth and Connexions Services and Ealing Police. It aims to give children the opportunity to take part in activities they would not normally get the chance to do, and to keep them out of trouble.

The two-week scheme is run by volunteers from the council and the police. This year more than 140 11 to 16 year olds attended both on and off-site events at Belvue School in Northolt.

Inspector Susan Hayward of Ealing Police, who helped organise this year's scheme, said: "The children who come to the scheme are provided with the opportunities that they don't normally get.

"All the children who attend the summer scheme are referred by agencies including social services, the youth offending team and the police.

"We do a lot of work with the youths on issues surrounding friendships and groups.

"Not all groups get on with each other and we know that and we work with them accordingly."

Last week, the media, Ealing's mayor Cllr Gurcharan Singh and Ealing's borough commander Chief Superintendent Martin Bridger were invited to the scheme to meet with the volunteers and the youths.

Cllr Singh was inspired by the work the volunteers did with young people and called for similar schemes to be made available to the people of Ealing.

He told the Times: "We need more of these schemes where kids can be kept away from trouble. My own sadness is that not everyone can make use of it."

As well as keeping children off the streets and out of trouble, Chf Supt Bridger believes schemes such as these are important in building bridges between the police and young people.

He said: "It is important that children have an understanding of the police very early on.

"It is important for the police to interact with the children and that they can be seen in a different light.

"A scheme like this offers a whole range of people from across the borough who all come from different socio-economic backgrounds to come together and have a good time."