MOST endeavours to keep teenagers off the streets involve pool tables and table football.

But over in Ulverston, a trailblazing scheme has persuaded the town's youngsters to step away from the doorways, leave the skateboards at the door and pick up a book.

Ulverston author Zosia Wand took a grant from the Booktrust, a London-based reading charity, and hooked up with a youth project in May to encourage a far-from-bookish group of teenagers to read for pleasure.

Now the seven-strong group of 14 to 17-year-olds have launched their very own comic inspired by reading graphic novels.

"It's good to see it in print," said 13-year-old Ulverston Victoria High School pupil Jessica Bower.

"Coming here has inspired me to read more."

Fellow group member Rachael Simpson, 13, was equally enthused: "I like comic drawing but I never got a chance to do it, I have definitely got more confident in my own drawing, have made more friends and it has been interesting."

The sessions initially got off to a rowdy start.

"When we started, the only way I could make myself heard was shouting over the top of them," said Ms Wand.

"They didn't listen to me or each other and didn't expect to be listened to. They found it very difficult discussing anything. It was down to a lack of confidence.

"But it's possible now to do discussions and talks and I think they've got more self esteem."

Ms Wand worked with the group, which was put together by PC Simone Cookson, of Cumbria Police, and has been meeting since May at Ulverston's Clancy's nightclub.

Alongside comic artist David Hughes, of Walney, and Ulverston youth worker Deyanne Birkett, they got creative and encouraged the teenagers to get more into reading.

With Mr Hughes's help, they put together their comic strip stories and read two graphic novels.

The content of the resulting comic, called Box of Frogs, is certainly not the stuff of Enid Blyton.

There is a comedy strip about the painful outcome of playing with aerosols; a drunken tale of sleeping in a wheelie bin; and a story about the joy of being mooned at during a Green Day concert.

In a finale, the comic strips were blown-up and displayed in giant frames for an exhibition at Ulverston's Coronation Hall.

Such has been the success of the project that the Booktrust also funded another phase which has centred on The Beatles and included a trip to Liverpool.

Exhibitions of the Liverpool-inspired work are just about to go on display in the foyer of Ulverston library.

Meanwhile, the charity has also just agreed funding for another 20 sessions for the project.

"It's just been brilliant," said PC Cookson.

"They have amazed themselves with what they've produced and they have learned that reading doesn't have to be boring.

"They kept coming back to the sessions even at half term and nothing speaks louder than that."

l RIGHT: Ross Worsley, 15, of Ulverston, at work on his latest creation.

LEFT: Josh McCullogh from Haverthwaite.

(Photos: Ania Gron-Yoncali)