Anne Weinstock, director of the Government's Youth Taskforce, visited the Millan Centre at Longley Lane to meet families involved with the city council's Family Intervention Programme.

The service works with troublesome youngsters and supports the children and their mums and dads with parenting courses.

Each family is assessed and allocated a key worker and a tailored support plan to tackle the underlying causes of anti-social behaviour.

Debbie Thompson, whose 14-year-old son Jack attends the centre every week, said: "Jack was easily led and was getting in with the wrong crowds at school at the same time I was going through a rough patch as well.

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"I asked Jack's school for help and they put me in touch with the programme.

"A prevention officer for the Youth Offending Service visited us and was really friendly and helpful.

"Jack could easily have chosen the wrong path. I don't like to think what he would be doing now without the helps he's had."

Ms Weinstock, based in the Department for Children, Schools, and Families, also visited the North Youth Crime Prevention Centre in Firth Park.

She met parents to see the support on offer to families across Sheffield.

She said: "Projects like these have been shown to reduce anti-social behaviour in 85 per cent of cases and to improve school attendance among young people."

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