AN £897,000 scheme to build a new community centre for a former pit village is to get under way today.

North Durham MP Kevan Jones and Linda Surtees, chairwoman of the newly-formed Sacriston Community and Sports Trust, will cut the first sod, marking the start of construction on the centre for Sacriston.

The Trust spent seven years planning and seeking funding for a centre. It will be built on the site of the village's bowling green and will include parking spaces and a small square.

The development will be carried out in two phases and the first is expected to be completed by the spring. Trustees are continuing to seek funding for the second phase, which would see the development of sports and outdoor recreation facilities.