CHILDREN in Chester-le-Street have written to Durham County Council chiefs asking for somewhere they can enjoy music.

Nine youngsters aged ten to 14 got together with Investing in Children co-ordinator Clare Beighton to tackle the problem.

They wrote a questionnaire to find out what their peers wanted and have written a report of their findings.

Catherine Rowland, 11, a pupil at Roseberry Comprehensive School, said: "We want an interesting place for under-16s where they can play and listen to music and dance."

Ms Beighton helped the youngsters with the report after meeting them at The Heritage Kids Club. She said: "They are a very mature group for their age because they know what they want.

"They are learning how to articulate that and they are getting better at being able to express their views."

Durham county councillor Brian Ebbatson praised the group for showing initiative.

He said: "A lot of people complain about young people not being constructive, but here we have a group who have got together and explored an issue that is important to them and brought it to the attention of the authorities.

"There are a lot of school buildings and community halls like Bullion Hall that might be able to help.

"Anyone who has got space they can use should get in touch with them."

Anyone with a venue that may be suitable for a disco or music sessions can call Berni Stock, of Investors in Children, on 0191-386 7485.