YOUNGSTERS who have led a project to bring permanent skate-parks to north-west Durham will enjoy the fruits of their labour this week.

The official opening ceremony of the first skatepark, at the Kings Head Fields site, in Stanley, takes place on Wednesday.

The project was driven by Derwentside Young People's Forum, set up through Derwentside District Council's innovative Spice project, which aims to give young people a stronger voice in local government.

It follows more than a year of work by the youth forum to find suitable sites and money for the schemes.

The council gave the forum £10,000 to get started last year, and its elected members decided to put the cash towards applying for extra funding, to provide skateboarding facilities.

But the youngsters struggled to get a National Lottery bid together in time for this year's deadline and were facing a long wait for further funding. The council came to their rescue, with an extra £50,000 for the scheme.

Derwentside *eisure services won planning permission in March to build two parks, costing £30,000 each.

The park in Stanley, on the site of the former swimming baths in the High Street, will be followed by another at the Belle Vue leisure centre, in Consett.

Work is already under way on the second site and it is expected to open in a matter of weeks.

Each park will cater for skateboarders, BMX bikers and in-line skaters, and will include a skate-friendly surface, equipment and security fencing.

The Kings Head park opens on Wednesday at 5pm, with a graffiti art workshop. Youngsters will then put the new ramps to use in a wheeled sports competition.