A MOBILE shelter is to provide somewhere for young people to meet in the Hambleton district.

The £6,600 building will spend three months in set venues, but if successful, it is hoped similar structures will become permanent.

The Hambleton Community Safety Partnership has bought one of the shelters, which have already proved a hit in other parts of the UK.

Now officers will talk to town councils in Easingwold, Bedale, Northallerton, Thirsk and Stokesley to find suitable venues. Tim Woods, who is involved in organising the scheme, said: "This portable shelter is an ideal way of finding out the viability and position of a facility before a permanent one is erected.

"Where they have been used in other parts of the country, they have been found to reduce crime and the fear of crime, for both local residents and the young people.

"When youths congregate on street corners, their actions can raise fears, even if they are just hanging out with their friends.

"Giving them somewhere to meet can reduce those fears, and we hope it will greatly reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour."

To suggest a location for the centres, call (01609) 767196.