Crime cash to support teen rehab project

DRUG or alcohol-addicted teenagers, or those at risk of offending, are to be given rehabilitation support using cash seized from gangsters.

The Scottish Government's 1.6 million Junction project means that teens aged between 14 and 17 in Edinburgh will be offered support, training and outdoor adventures.

The three-year pilot, also rolled out in Glasgow and Dundee, will be delivered by Fairbridge, The Venture Trust, The Prince's Trust and Venture Scotland.

Using funds recovered from drug dealers and gangsters under the Proceeds of Crime Act, it aims to get young people into jobs or further education and divert them from offending.

Fergus Ewing, minister for community safety, said: "This is not an easy way out for these young people. They will be asked to take a long, hard look in the mirror and face up to the reality that they are on the fast route to a life of crime."