THEY may be too young to vote, but schoolchildren are already deciding on the prospective MPs they want to see returned to Parliament.

In an attempt to get the younger generation introduced to the democratic process, 150 teenagers have been e-mailing questions to parliamentary candidates and political activists across Teesside and North Yorkshire.

The project has been made possible by a team based at the University of Teesside, which set up a virtual constituency on the Internet for 14 and 15-year-olds from Norton, Acklam, central and west Middlesbrough and Stokesley.

The youngsters have been choosing a different topic each day for the prospective parliamentarians to discuss, followed by a poll.

Team director Brian Loader said: "In the next General Election, these teenagers will be able to vote for real, and it's important to show them that their opinion matters to politicians.

"The Internet, mobile phones and digital TV can be used as a means to bring young people and politicians closer together and improve our democratic politics.''

Pamela Beddow, a teacher at Stokesley School, said: "It's important to try and involve young people in the democratic process. They get the opportunity to have the questions they want answered.''