A CLEVELAND MP has called for a debate about the exodus of young people from the county.

Dr Ashok Kumar, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South, said it was "deeply worrying" that new statistics reveal there are ten per cent fewer young people on Teesside than the national average.

The 2001 census also reveals that Middlesbrough is the worst affected, with 15 per cent fewer people aged between 20 and 34.

The number of young males in Middlesbrough is even lower, at 20 per cent below the national average.

Dr Kumar said: "There needs to be a Teesside-wide debate on these figures. Central to this debate should be the ability of the University of Teesside and local colleges to attract local school and sixth form college leavers to study here, rather than leave for the perception of the bright lights of the south of England."

However another leading Teesside political figure, David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, was pleased with the census figures. The Government had estimated east Cleveland had a population of 136,400, but in fact a total of 139,100 people live in the area.

Mr Walsh said: "This is welcome news for a number of reasons. Firstly, we have always suspected the lower figures.

Secondly, they show that people find Redcar and Cleveland a good area to live and play.

"But thirdly, and most importantly, these figures should mean that we will get an even break in future terms of our grant income from central government."