A RUNDOWN former residential home, which has become a vandalism hot-spot since it closed, looks set to be demolished.

Albion House, in the centre of Willington, closed about 18 months ago as part of a countywide shake-up of care provision for elderly people.

Since then, owner Durham County Council has considered alternative uses for the buildings and tried to find a buyer for the site but failed to find either.

The empty building has instead become a dangerous playground for youngsters in the town and an eyesore to residents and visitors.

The council is now answering the pleas of residents and local councillors by seeking to have the building pulled down.

County councillor Brian Myers, who chairs Willington Community Partnership, said: "I certainly welcome any moves to sort out the problem.

"At first I didn't want to see Albion House pulled down but it has become such a problem it has to come down - for health and safety reasons if nothing else.

"Kids breaking in is a regular occurrence and residents were getting sick of the antisocial behaviour it seems to attract in its current state."

The county council's urban renaissance officers are working with local groups and Wear Valley District Council to draw up a development brief for the site and have applied for permission to demolish Albion House.

The removal of the building will be another important step towards regeneration of the town which has recently seen the completion of a £450,000 town green project.

A nearby shop, the former PriceLess store, is also thought to have attracted the interest of a furniture trader and could be reoccupied in the near future.

Coun Myers said: "To see Albion House removed would be a positive move, any redevelopment must be sympathetic to the area and compliment the town green project.

"The partnership hoped to see the home and the shop site redeveloped together but if PriceLess has been bought after years and years of standing empty with the ugly shutters down it will be good to see it tidied up for new retail use."