A YOUTH bus has visited some of the region's most troubled teenagers to try to help them stay out of trouble.

The Ellie Youth Bus, a project set up in 2003 to provide activities for youngsters across Derwentside, has paid its first visit to Hassockfield Secure Training Centre, at Medomsley, near Consett.

The centre, one of only four of its kind in the country, is home to more than 40 youngsters, aged 12 to 17, who are either awaiting trial or serving custodial sentences.

The award-winning bus is full of technology gadgets, from DJ equipment to computer games, to keep young people interested and entertained.

It also carries information on key issues, from anti-social behaviour to sexual health. Staff on the bus provide workshops and individual sessions to support young people and help them make better choices for a happier future.

The scheme usually operates in communities around Derwentside, where it has earned widespread recognition for its work with hard-to-reach groups and has received nearly 10,000 visitors over the past four years.

Development worker Nigel Hogg said more sessions are planned with the young people at Hassockfield, including football tournaments, to help build bridges with the local community.

He said: "These young people need our help.

"We want to show them that crime does not need to play a part in their future. They can live their lives another way and they can address some of the issues that might be getting them into trouble, issues like drug and alcohol abuse."