A GROUP of teenage footballers have been playing away games behind bars.

Westhoughton Youth Drop In soccer team has travelled to Hindley Young Offenders Institute three times to take on the inmates.

The aim of the matches was to show the Westhoughton youngsters that there are consequences to pay for engaging in anti-social behaviour -- with loss of freedom being the main penalty.

Ricky Brown, who helped to arrange the matches, said: "Both teams got on brilliantly.

"They were just two groups of 16 and 17-year-old lads who had got together to play football. It really broke down barriers."

The first game was won by the Hindley inmates 5-3, the second game was won by the Westhoughton lads 5-3, and the most recent game was another inmates' victory at 2-1.

At the end of the matches, when the Westhoughton boys were allowed out of the gate to go home while the inmates were returned to their cells, the WYDI lads agreed that there was a lot to be said for freedom.

Since the matches Ricky said that he has noticed a change of attitude in the young men.

He said: "They now seem to have a different opinion of prisoners, even though they are locked up for engaging in criminal activities they are still young lads who enjoy playing football, just like young lads of their age all over the country."

Another positive effect the trips had was that the WYDI lads realise that there is a fine line between freedom and loss of it, each one of them said they would not like to be locked up.