A NORTH-East council has joined forces with Age Concern to provide the country's first videophone link for the elderly.

Sunderland City Council is providing six videophone systems in a pilot befriending scheme in which recipients can see as well as hear the person at the other end.

The service was launched at Age Concern's Bradbury Centre, in the city, yesterday.

For the next three months clients such as 75-year-old Majorie Donaldson, a retired school clerk from Houghton and Robert Hare from Southwick will be able to test the communication system.

Alan Patchett, director of Age Concern in Sunderland expects it will prove a great asset to his team of befrienders as well as marking the UK's first virtual visiting.

"The videophones will enable us to see our members as well as talk to them on the line as we already do." he said.

Chief executive of Sunderland City Council, Ged Fitzgerald said: "Once we evaluate how well the videophones are working, we hope to join Age Concern in training their befrienders to bring a new level of service to our oldest residents."

The next phase of the virtual-visiting pilot scheme will see befrienders helping older people by dialling up the council services they need.

Mr Patchett said: "If someone's wheelie-bin disappears, or a street light goes out near their home, our volunteer will be able to key in a request for help for that resident straight away using the same video link."