AN acclaimed project which has made the worldwide web more accessible to organisations across the region will today announce a new development.

The CommuniGate scheme run by Newsquest North-East - publishers of The Northern Echo - will reach further into local communities, thanks to the launch of a bus service.

The CommuniGate bus will be unveiled at Darlington town hall this afternoon by the town's MP Alan Milburn.

The specially-adapted vehicle features six laptop computers, tables and seating areas, and will provide travelling workshops, starting this month.

CommuniGate has already proved a major success since it was founded in September 2000.

More than 2,000 Internet sites have been provided, free of charge, for charities and community groups throughout County Durham, North Yorkshire, Cleveland, and Tyne and Wear.

The bus will allow CommuniGate to reach previously inaccessible rural areas, with workshops held on board or at local venues.

Funding for the mini-bus conversion has come from Barclays and mobile communications for workshops from Orange.

After its launch on the town hall forecourt, the bus will head to Water Park, in Middleton St George, near Darlington to allow local people to tour its facilities, at 4pm.

Next Friday, from 10am to noon, it will be at the Maidendale House community centre, on Darlington's Firthmoor estate, as part of Adult Learners' Week.

David Kelly, Newsquest North-East managing director, said: "This is an exciting and possibly unique development of our highly successful service of bringing communities closer together."