A SALISBURY schoolgirl spoke up for the nation's youth in a debate at the House of Lords.

Rebecca Bostock, a pupil at South Wilts Grammar School, told an audience which included MPs and peers young people are growing disillusioned with the national press because of its inaccurate and negative coverage of their generation.

The term "youth" is gradually becoming associated with crime, she said, and the terms "yob" and "youth" are becoming interchangeable.

Rebecca, 14 , of London Road, who is a member of the UK Youth Parliament for Salisbury and Kennet, was taking part in a debate on fair and accurate representation of young people in the media.

It was one of six subjects chosen for discussion in the Lords, and highlights were shown on TV on BBC Parliament tonight. Three of the issues will be chosen to form the subject of UKYP campaigns in the next year.

Around 250 members of the UKYP took part in the debate, and Rebecca was one of 18 chosen to prepare and give a speech.

She said: "It was a fantastic experience, and something I would never have dreamt of doing before I became a member of the Youth Parliament."

Rebecca was elected to the Youth Parliament through a text voting campaign run by Wiltshire County Council.

The council's head of youth development, David Whewell, said: "It is great to see young people's voices being heard at the highest levels in the country. Rebecca's speech represents the views and experiences of many young people in Wiltshire."