Teenagers living on an Oxford estate are being taught mechanical skills to help stop them being led astray.

Nine 13- to 17-year-olds were introduced to the workings of go-karts by employees from the charity Trax, at The Barn, in Long Ground, Greater Leys, on Friday.

They will spend the next four weeks learning how go-karts work and taking the machines out for test drives.

The course was organised by street wardens from Blackbird Leys using about £600 of Home Office money.

Senior street warden Malcolm Taylor said: “We were asked to come up with various projects for youths on the estate on Friday and Saturday evenings for three months from January to March, and this is one of the things we have decided to run.

“In the past people have asked ‘why should all the really bad kids get the best deals’ so what we have looked for is youths who are generally okay, but if they were to mix with the wrong groups, could be swung over the edge.”

Four of the teenagers were suggested for the course by the Oxford Academy school, while the other five were chosen by the street wardens from outreach work they had carried out on the estate.

All of the teenagers who attend the weekly Friday courses will be given the chance to spend 20 minutes on the track every following Thursday.

Course organisers plan to finish the initiative with a day out at a large go-kart circuit at Milton Keynes.

Mr Taylor said that if the scheme proved successful other sources of funding would be sought to hold the sessions again.

He said: “It puts them in a direction, makes them concentrate on getting things done rather than just messing about, and it will also help them learn a certain amount of discipline.”

Connor Thorpe, 13, from Peregrine Road, Blackbird Leys, said: “It’s good, it’s exciting and very practical.

“If this wasn’t going on I would be just hanging around the streets.”

Lewis Judd, 14, from Nightingale Avenue, Greater Leys, said: “I think it’s going to be fun.”

Adam Spiers, 15, from Falcon Close, Blackbird Leys, said: “I would probably be on the streets if I wasn’t here.

“There is enough to do on the estate, but you have to pay for it. They should do stuff like this more often.”

fbardsley@oxfordmail.co.uk