A FIRST Stop Clinic devised exclusively for young people was launched in a County Durham village yesterday.

The new health facility covering the Brandon and Deerness Valley area will be led by the young people themselves.

Open every Wednesday, from 6.15pm to 7.30pm, the clinic will offer a range of family planning and contraceptive services, chlamydia screening and treatment, and sexual health advice.

The idea for the First Stop Clinic came from a group of youngsters attending the Brandon Youth Project, who identified a need for the service after surveying young people in the area.

The group then worked alongside representatives from the Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust to set up the facility.

In response to a number of requests the clinic will also offer a one-to-one advice service in comfortable surroundings.

Suzanne Lamb, of the primary care trust, said: "The First Stop Clinic will help to meet the contraceptive and sexual health needs of young people in a local setting.''

Emma Lawson, from the Brandon Youth Project, said: "I really enjoyed being involved in the project, and I hope the First Stop Clinic will give young people in the area what they said they wanted when we asked them.''