Sophie Williams, 17, foreground, with a sample CitizenCard, fellow College of Further Education student Natalie Neville, 18, and Andrea Nightingale of Drug and Alcohol Strategy. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0850051)

More than 200 teenagers have signed up for the nationally-recognised CitizenCard proof of age scheme, sponsored by the Drug and Alcohol Strategy.

College of Further Education student Natalie Neville, 18, was looking forward to finally having a form of identification.

‘It’s nice to have something that people will recognise as an ID card,’ she said.

‘I know that some people have had problems with trying to use their student cards over here, so hopefully the pubs, clubs and shops will be aware of this scheme.’

She said up to now she had had to use her driving licence to prove her age. ‘It’s going to be good to have something else and we will be able to use it at the airport as well.’

Students who are 17 will be given a card for free on their 18th birthday and those who are already 18 will be given them straight away.

People who are 18 but no longer a student can apply for one but will have to pay £10.