STUDENTS and staff have been told to wear identification badges in an attempt to keep 'trouble-makers' away from their college.

The principal of St Mary's College, Blackburn, Kevin McMahon, today defended the 'security' measures after a spate of trespassers caused disturbances on the premises.

People found without ID on the Shear Brow campus will be escorted off the premises unless they can prove they are there legitimately.

The unique move has been backed by unions and police, who have been called to 16 incidents involving non-students in the last six months.

Offences included:

o Vehicle nuisance

o The theft of two mobile phones

o Rowdy behaviour

o A break-in

o Groups seen on the college site described by police as "looking for trouble"

o Cars being driven at high speed driving around the college grounds

o Students being approached by non-students in cars

Mr Mahon, who has been principal at the college since April, said this year they had enrolled a larger number of students and he felt it was important for them to wear their identity cards as a "preventative security measure."

He said: "We have had some form of identity cards for the last five years but this is the first time we have asked students and staff to wear them at all times.

"For us it is a new term and a new regime and people outside the college should know that it is not worth trying to get in to St Mary's College.

"At the beginning of each day tutors check that all students have their cards on show and every teacher checks again at the start of the lesson. We also have senior members of staff who routinely patrol the corridors and will stop anyone who is not wearing their card.

"The college is a really open site and occasionally we get people popping in who shouldn't be there. We want to clamp down on these as well as those who are there for more sinister motives.

"People have to wear identity cards in the world of work and this is just another way that our students are being prepared for the world of employment."

Inspector Anne Scott from Blackburn police said controlling who enters a college premises has always been a problem due to the amount of access points and volume of staff and students.

With over 700 pupils predominantly aged between 16-19 and not in uniform, she said a system of identification should help eradicate any problems.

She said: "This is a positive step in crime prevention as it alerts staff immediately to anybody who shouldn't be on the college premises, which will in turn lead to a reduction in crime.

"Staff will now have the confidence to legitimately challenge those people who shouldn't be there and are causing a nuisance."

Lesley Ham, of the National Association of Schoolmaster and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) in Lancashire, welcomed the "new initiative" and said: "I was working in the school in February and there were various exits and entrances that were unprotected with no security on them at all and I entered the school and walked around freely without being stopped.

"Now they have this improved level of security I hope that measures have also been put in place to protect the entrances and exits properly."

Simon Jones, national executive member for the National Union of Teachers added: "I have never heard of students having to wear identity badges and I am certainly not aware of other schools or colleges where they have to have them on constant display."