A coastal council says it will support the Government's plan to increase the school leaving age.

Education bosses want young people to continue with school or training until they are 18.

Tendring Council has given the idea the thumbs-up and believes it will help youngsters to get jobs.

It revealed the results of a meeting with teachers and training providers to discuss how to raise educational attainment in the district.

Roy Caddick, Tendring Council cabinet member for corporate governance, said: "I was impressed by the thoughts about raising the school leaving age to 18 or 19.

"Tendring Council commits to helping schools to develop a choice of apprenticeships, which will remove the dangers of youngsters staying at school solely to mix with their mates.

"It has been sorely missing from our society.

"We believe that we need to help schools, industry and commerce to create a scheme to help our youngsters in this way."

The Chancellor Gordon Brown said every teenager would have "a right" to stay in training or school until they were 18, during his Budget speech on Wednesday.