AUF Wiedersehen Pet's Tim Healy revisited Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge yesterday to launch an initiative for young people.

Mr Healy, who plays Dennis in the successful television series, was promoting a £9.7m project, Kick Start, that aims to help support young people in the Tees Valley and create 52 jobs.

In earlier programmes, Dennis and his team of workmates decided to go back in business together to dismantle Middlesbrough's famous landmark and rebuild it in Arizona, US.

Yesterday, he stood beneath the bridge to promote an initiative run by Connexions Tees Valley to encourage young people into education, employment and training.

Part of the initiative will involve creating a voluntary and community partnership to support them. Advisors and mentors will also be employed to provide support to young people and their families if needed.

The project has received £4.3m of European Social Fund money and aims to support 2,400 people in the Tees Valley over two years, and to pool the resources of 30 organisations in the area.

Mr Healy said: "Kick Start will boost the knowledge local young people have about the opportunities available to them.

"The provision of personal advisors and mentors is an ideal way to reach young people, and I hope there are lots of applications for these important jobs.

"It is certainly true that there are a great many talented young people in the Tees Valley, and this project will go a long way towards nurturing that talent."