A YOUTH centre could bring youngsters off the streets and into a more sophisticated environment, community leaders hope.

A youth and community training centre is set to open in Thirsk market place, allowing children over 11 to get together socially, seek professional support and obtain skilled computer training.

The cost of the Thirsk Clock project will be more than £100,000 a year.

Thirsk Regeneration Initiative (TRI), which supports the project, will pay £90,000 towards the costs over the first three years.

Members of Hambleton District Council's development control committee will meet on Thursday to discuss the proposals.

Head of development services Maurice Cann said there was a great need for such a centre in the town.

He said: "There is a shortage of facilities for young people and a lot of them are just standing around Thirsk Clock, hence the name of the project."

The scheme is set up by a number of organisations and people working in partnership, including Churches Together, Thirsk Community Education and the Market Towns Initiative.

Project leader, Captain Rob Barker, said: "This centre is absolutely vital. These children are important members of the community and they need to know they belong and are valuable."

The centre will occupy three floors of a vacant retail premises, providing a permanent base from which to operate various youth services.

The ground floor will provide an information technology training facility, with five networked computers and a small cafe.

The first floor will be a youth zone, similar in character to a conventional youth club, where youngsters will be able to socialise and plan events.

The pupil support officer will have an office on the second floor and will work outside the school environment to offer children professional support and advice.

Programme manager of the TRI, Harvey Dowdy, said: "This project is exclusively for young people, allowing them to socialise in a drug and alcohol-free environment and access the IT facilities in the training centre.

"There is a strong need for communities to provide something that is more sophisticated and safe for their young people."