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Carlos Spencer, 16; Simeon Brown, 11, and Sanchez Romeo, 18

Teenagers are working together to stop an Oxford estate becoming a hotspot for guns, knives and drug dealing.

About 20 youths from the Leys Community Development Initiative (Leys CDI) are organising a conference to tell young people what options are available to them other than life in a gang.

Youth workers hope the conference and a two-month education project will stop Blackbird Leys becoming another Hackney, Birmingham or Manchester, where gangs and guns are rife.

The conference was also prompted by incidents on the estate last summer, including the stabbing of Roy Sinclair, who was attacked by a group of youths yards from Blackbird Leys Community Centre, where Leys CDI is based.

Staff at Leys CDI said black and minority ethnic (BME) males were being targeted by drug dealers.

Beth Knowles, youth project manager, said: "We can see young people dipping their toe into wanting to have more money.

"It's a real temptation. It's not a massive problem yet but it could be if it's not addressed."

Teenagers are meeting twice a week under the guidance of Leys CDI to put together the day-long conference at The Church Mission Society headquarters in Transport Way, off Watlington Road, on March 27.

The conference's target audience is nine to 25-year-olds from the Leys. Speakers will include police officers and representatives from the Mothers Against Guns pressure group.

The teenagers are also making their own film about gang experiences and will visit similar projects across the country.

Carlos Spencer, 16, from Nettlebed Mead, Greater Leys, said: "I'm trying to help out the community.

"I hope the conference changes people's opinions about Blackbird Leys in general, and hopefully it will persuade young people to better themselves - stay in school and stuff like that."

Liam Townsend, 18, from Centaury Place, Greater Leys, said: "I've seen friends selling drugs and a lot of fighting. It's not right but their lifestyle makes it an everyday thing.

"Hopefully the conference should give young people some knowledge about what they might get into."

Ms Knowles said: "We find young people are drawn towards carrying weapons, being in gangs and drug dealing as their natural choice in life, or the only choice they can see.

"The problem is happening but it has not escalated to a Hackney situation.

"This is a preventative project to educate and inspire young people. It's about guns and knife crime and gangs and looking at deterring young people from getting involved."

Her colleague Marsha Jackson added: "This is to put some positivity back in Blackbird Leys after bad press and the stabbing. It's taking the issue and trying to make it positive."

7:08pm Monday 24th March 2008

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