IT is easy to criticise troublesome youngsters and dismiss their problems as not worth bothering with, but rehabilitation in many cases is possible.

Two stories in today's paper highlight the achievements of teenagers who have experienced difficulties but fought to overcome them and make a valuable contribution to society.

Putting together a group of seven lads who have been permanently excluded from their secondary schools for bad behaviour may sound like a recipe for disaster, but the results have proved a tribute to Bolton's Pupil Referral Unit.

The unit was set up to train youngsters in bricklaying and joinery and seven pupils there have built an office block and laboratory with just the supervision of a tutor.

Some of these pupils were expelled from school for violent behaviour, while others had poor attendance records, yet all have knuckled down to the task in hand and are proud of what they have achieved.

Not only does this sort of scheme provide people with a good grounding for the future, it improves their general attitude to life, increases their chances of future employment and gives them a sense of worth.

Also, around 150 prizes were last night given out at the Bolton Lads and Girls Club Mentoring Awards, where an audience of more than 350 heard moving tales of how volunteers have helped youngsters overcome difficulties in their lives and provided them with the confidence to face the future.

It is easy to criticise schemes which aim to help problem children rather than punish them, but both these initiatives show that when treated with respect rather than simply being dismissed as time-wasters, many will respond in a positive manner.