A GRAFFITI artist is turning his work with teenagers into a business.

Graham Cleland, 24, has spent the past few months creating a piece of spray paint art with young people through the Include programme, based in the Burnside Resource Centre, Mendip Terrace, South Stanley.

"A lot of people still think of graffiti as a crime," he said. "I am trying to prove that it can be used as a tool to help kids."

Include is a national charity that runs alternative education projects for youngsters who struggled in a regular school environment.

Its Entry to Employment course helps them achieve qualifications and improve their life skills - a scheme that is close to Mr Cleland's heart.

A former student at New College Durham and Newcastle College, he originally left school with virtually no GCSEs and has since discovered he is dyslexic.

"When I left school, art was the only subject I passed," he said.

"Graffiti is art I can identify with. I can't identify with Turner paintings and the majority of young people are the same."

The project at the Burnside centre proved so successful that other Include groups across the North-East are looking at hiring Mr Cleland to run similar programmes.

To meet the demand, he has set up the Real Graffiti Company in Stanley. He was helped by Peter Waistell, of business development agency BizFizz, who is also based in the Burnside centre.

Mr Waistell said: "We drew up a six-stage course that the kids can follow through.

"From having a blank piece of paper, they have delivered a piece of art that will be displayed in this building."

BizFizz offers advice to those in the Stanley area wanting to start a business, or small firms wanting to expand. For more details, contact Mr Waistell on (07791) 898271. For more information about the Real Graffiti Company, contact Mr Cleland on (07838) 296636.