TEENAGERS frustrated by a lack of facilities in Teesdale have called for more action and less talk from a group set up to obtain access to funds for the area.

About 60 youngsters attended a meeting called by the Teesdale Market Towns Partnership at Witham Hall on Thursday of last week.

During the presentation of a health check on Barnard Castle and Middleton in Teesdale by partnership co-ordinator David McKnight, the meeting turned into a heated debate about the lack of facilities for young people.

Mr McKnight agreed that providing more youth services was a priority, but said any proposed schemes required feasibility studies to justify applications for funding.

He added: "At this stage we have no money. There is money out there but we are competing with other market towns, so we have to make sure that the ideas put forward can be justified to funders."

However, county council education in the community officer Keith Jones, who is based at the Teesdale Community Resources Centre in Barnard Castle, complained that action was needed now.

He said: "We have got feasibility studies coming out of our ears. Young people have put forward their ideas and we are no further on."

One of the more popular suggestions was a cybercaf run by youngsters.

The chairman of the partnership, Tony Seaman, agreed that something had to be done quickly and invited representatives of local youngsters to meet him to discuss their proposals.

Earlier, Mr McKnight had highlighted traffic management and car parking strategies and attracting more tourists as other top priorities for Teesdale.

"Without tourism, the dale dies," he said.

He added: "We still want people to come forward with their ideas."