CRIMEFIGHTING Bolton teenagers have been hailed as the best in Greater Manchester.

The team of youngsters, aged 10 to 18, last night scooped top prize in a prestigious annual Greater Manchester Police "Make A Difference" competition.

The Musgrave Musketeers have tackled crime and disorder in the Heaton area in the last 12 months.

They beat off competition from 11 groups across the Greater Manchester area to win first prize.

They were presented with a £2,000 cheque for their group and £2,000 for a charity or community initiative of their choice by the Chief Constable Mike Todd at an award ceremony at the Crown Plaza in Manchester.

The musketeers revamped a park on the Musgrave estate by cleaning graffiti off the play equipment and repainting it. They also helped to create a safe off-street football area for the local children to use.

The teenagers also tackled street crime issues and visited elderly people in their neighbourhood. They handed out crime prevention advice to pensioners including personal attack alarms.

Pc Faye Davies, youth development officer, and Lindsey Worrall, team leader, said: "We are delighted their hard work has been recognised.

"We would like to thank everyone who donated materials and helped the group, especially the residents living in St Luke's Court. The team worked throughout the year on the scheme and are very excited to have won."

The scheme is sponsored by Vertex and the Stollar Charitable Trust.